If you are tired of all the body aches and mental stress you get from daily life, then maybe, it’s time for you to get a massage chair. Massage is an age-old practice that provides a range of much-needed health benefits, from pain relief to muscle strengthening to better circulation.
A massage chair was first thought of as a luxury item. But, it certainly provides a lot more than relaxing your body. In this article, we will explore and discuss the various health benefits of a massage chair.
Top 18 Health Benefits of Massage Chairs
1. Reduces Body Pain
Using a massage chair regularly can help in decreasing pain in several areas of your body. One of the areas where massage is most effective is your lower back. Muscles that have become way too tight due to several possible reasons begin to loosen up and relax. Moreover, your lower back pain starts decreasing as well.
In fact, for many individuals, massage works better than acupuncture therapy in reducing back pain. Massage chair therapy sessions are proven to be quite valuable in addition to your doctor’s medication.
2. Reduces Headaches
Headaches and migraines, generally have a muscle tension component. With good quality massage chairs, you can reduce or even eliminate muscle strain. This helps to decrease the frequency of your headaches and provides you with some relief when you get them.
3. Enhances Post-Workout Muscle Recovery
A massage chair can provide you with a combination of deep tissue massage, heating cycles, and other effective massages. These can work together to restore your body to a fit state after a proper workout. Faster recovery time indicates that the soreness will be gone and soon you’ll be able to get back to your daily activities.
4. Reduction in Stress and Anxiety
Many studies have shown that regular massage therapies are effective in reducing stress and anxiety. The reason being the stimulation of ‘feel-good’ hormone secretion due to massages. It stimulates the secretion of endorphins like serotonin and dopamine. Moreover, it also decreases cortisol level which is the stress hormone.
This can efficiently manage a volatile temperament and fluctuating moods. Much-needed in today’s date as stress and anxiety can cause long-lasting diseases in humans. Moreover, releasing stress with a massage chair costs much less than getting medication and does not have any side effects.
5. Induces Better Sleep
Insomnia is a term all of us are familiar with. It is something that has been wrecking up our lifestyle and keeps us in a state of constant fatigue. Digital devices are to be blamed for this but it is an outcome of several other lifestyle factors as well.
Massages can work wonders in overcoming sleep-related problems and this is one of the chief benefits of having a massage chair at home. A good session of massage chair therapy can help you fall asleep faster.
6. Relieves Sore Muscles
Muscles can become quite sore after you exercise, play sports, or spend a long workday. This aching is caused due to the accumulation of a particular toxin called lactic acid, in your muscle tissue. If you massage the raw areas softly, then blood flow to the sore area will increase and this supplies more oxygen to the tissues. Moreover, it also carries away lactic acid and relaxes your body. If your massage chair has a heating feature, then that is even more effective in getting rid of muscle pain.
7. Eliminates Stiff-Neck Issues
Most of the massage chairs come with a dedicated massage type to serve your neck and shoulders. Turns out, this is quite efficient in relieving the discomfort arising from a stiff neck. Also, this decreases the headaches associated with it. Again, if you don’t wanna spend much on a massage chair right now, then a small massager like a massage gun will come in handy for the short term. Massaging also increases your pain threshold level, thus, allowing the painful areas to heal faster.
8. Addresses Sciatica-Related Problems
Massage chair models have been designed after taking detailed inputs from doctors and chiropractors. This makes room for some amazing features and ergonomics in these chairs. Some of the main features of massage chairs are twist, tilt, heat, deep tissue massage, etc. Turns out, all of these can solve sciatica-related issues as well. Hence, your massage chair sessions will work wonders when it comes to decreasing pain and also, keeps it away.
9. Increases Oxygen Flow To Your Limbs
Massage stimulates blood flow to the affected areas. In turn, these help in pumping extra blood to your limbs and hence, supply more oxygen. Now, the tissues that receive a high level of oxygen supply heal and rejuvenate faster. So, you’ll be able to get back to your daily activities faster.
10. Flushes Your Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is one of the major pillars of our immunity system. Now, daily activities can lead to the piling up of many free radicals and toxins in our lymph nodes. With proper exercise and stimulation, you can flush the lymph nodes. But, massages can also do the same and provide more space to the lymphatic system. This way the functionality of lymph nodes improves and it keeps us well-protected from pathogens and also leaves us feeling fresh and rejuvenated.
11. Promotes Proper Circulation
A proper circulatory system can lead to a myriad of health benefits that you could have never thought of. One way to achieve the same is to become more active by exercising more. However, getting a massage session is also equally effective, if not more. The zero gravity positioning massage technique offered by a massage chair focuses on decreasing your heart load, thereby improving oxygen intake and supply.
Moreover, this, in turn, fixes many circulatory problems. Other than that, massage also decreases your stress level that has been linked to improving blood circulation. Stress increases blood pressure by constricting arteries and also leads to hypertension. Hence, eliminating stress via a good session of massage can help eliminate a lot of cardiovascular problems.
12. Lower Blood Pressure And Heart Rate
Everybody is leading a hectic life these days and this gets manifested as muscle tension in several areas of your body, notably your neck and shoulders. This tension then amplifies your Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) which in turn, increases your heartbeat rate and your blood pressure.
High blood pressure or hypertension can put your heart at risk of diseases, stroke, etc. Moreover, this can also damage other organs such as your kidneys. You can counter these ill effects of your hectic life by massage. It triggers your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) that moderates the effects of a stimulated SNS. Hence, massage chairs are very helpful in bringing your body back to balance and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.
13. Increases Mental Ability
A study has demonstrated that your ability to solve problems increases after you’ve had a good massage. The reason behind this is that mental clarity generally increases when you are calm and have sufficient oxygen supply in your brain.
14. Boosts Your Immunity
Clean lymph nodes, good sleep, low levels of stress, and proper blood circulation are all great at boosting the defense system of our body. Studies have shown that massage is quite effective in enhancing and strengthening your immunity. All in all, massage itself does not prevent illnesses but it creates the optimum conditions wherein your body can fend for itself in a much better way.
15. Improves Your Emotional Health
Massage chairs help in combating physical stress by stimulating the affected muscles. In addition to that, these also help to reduce emotional stress levels by reducing cortisol secretion. Now, studies have suggested that high cortisol levels are often linked to psychiatric conditions. Moreover, a large number of massage chair users have also reported that massage sessions have helped in balancing their mental state by reducing mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
16. Promotes Breathing Ability
If you walk and sit in an improper posture, then that can greatly affect your core muscles. Soon, your muscles around the lungs will start contracting due to facilitating poor posture. As a result, your lungs begin contracting in size to fit in the smaller chest cavity.
To compensate for the same, your body will take in shorter and faster breaths which reduces the lung capacity even further. With massage chairs, the muscles around your lungs and back get an opportunity to relax. This allows your lungs to expand and get back to their normal shape. In turn, you will be able to take in more air. Moreover, a massage also increases your energy levels, keeps you more attentive, and also relieves stress and anxiety.
17. Improves Your Body Posture
People who spend long hours sitting in front of a desk run a risk of developing a bad posture. As the situation worsens over time, an immense pressure builds up in your spine from all those long hauls of sitting.
Bad sitting posture can lead to terrible back pains, ruin your spine curvature, neck, shoulder, and lower backaches. These can cause severe musculoskeletal problems shortly. A massage chair has such a design that works on the affected muscles to relax and expand them.
Over time, it can realign your spine to its correct shape and offer great relaxation and mental clarity. Hence, this is one of the soundest investment options to improve and realign your posture.
18. Facilitates Digestion
Massage sessions can provide several benefits to your entire body. Starting from relaxing various muscle groups to positively affecting your digestive health, getting a massage chair can really change your lifestyle for the good. Your body’s organs can function at a far more optimal level by efficiently processing food.
This improved functioning of digestive organs prevents constipation, gas build-up, and internal digestive tract infections. As a result, you get a better and healthier body.
FAQs
Are massage chairs good for your health?
Massage chairs are pretty good for your overall health. Besides helping you to get rid of your backaches, these also help to loosen the tightened muscles. Moreover, massage chair designs and technology have become so advanced that you won’t feel the need for massage therapists. Massage chairs offer a wide range of health benefits and certainly won’t be a bad investment.
How long should you sit in a massage chair?
The ideal duration for sitting in a massage chair lies in the range of 2 to 15 minutes. Any duration longer than that might impose risks like muscle injury and bruising.
Are vibrating massage chairs good for you?
Vibration massage chairs are good for treating ailments like Parkinson’s disease, muscle soreness, and muscle weakness. These are also helpful for aged people who are unable to go to massage therapists regularly.
Is buying a massage chair worth it?
Yes, massage chairs offer plenty of health benefits like eliminating back pains, muscle pains, increasing endorphin levels, etc. So, getting a massage chair will change your life and body for the good. It is a worthy investment that comes at a low price tag.
Final Words
By now, you must have understood that the health benefits of massage chairs are widespread. Massage therapy sessions can give you a great deal of pain relief. These can help you get rid of back pain, lower back pain, neck, and shoulder pain. Other than that, massage therapy also plays a big role in improving your mood, realigning your body posture, etc. So, getting a massage chair is definitely a worthy investment due to the various benefits it has to offer.
