Three Reasons Why Massage Is The Best Valentine’s Day Gift

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Still wondering what to get your sweetie or yourself? The gift of massage is the perfect option for a loved one or to treat yourself. Here are three reasons why you should skip out on chocolates and roses for a relaxing massage:

Stress Reliever

Speaking of relaxing, massage offers a calming feeling which helps relieve stress and tension. Massage therapy environments generally promote feelings of relaxation. Low lighting, sometimes soft music and heated tables can already cause you to unwind and destress, even in a minor way. Massage therapy has shown to reduce stress hormone levels by 30 percent and increase serotonin and dopamine levels, which are those ‘feel-good’ hormones that put you in a good mood. Your body can react to stress by having tense and achy muscles. Massage will help relax those muscles with stretches and applied pressure.

Postural Stress Relief

As a physical therapy clinic, we have to talk about posture! All that sitting at the desk and staring at your phone screen can really do a number on you. I’m sure you have experienced some postural stress aches that tend to appear around your shoulders and neck. You can also feel pain and weakness in your low back or gluteals, especially if you spend a lot of time in a chair. With the help of massage, you can counteract the aches. If this is a reoccurring problem, you may want to schedule regular massages for you and your loved one.

Time for Yourself

Sometimes the best health benefits aren’t physical. Taking an hour of your day to enjoy a massage can do much more for your mental health than imagined. Getting away from the craziness of work, school or just daily responsibilities will help you relax and unwind. You’ll feel yourself in a daze of calmness shortly after your massage.