Just relax
October 3, 2006
After weeks of school, the weight of carrying books and the stress of classes can take their toll on your body. The perfect solution, it would seem, would be a professional massage.
But as a student, it is usually hard to afford an hourlong massage at a day spa. And with a full-time student schedule, work and a social life, the life of a college student can be stressful.
Katie Mead, licensed massage therapist from Leedz Salon, 2622 Stange Road, said stress affects the body in many ways, both mental and physical.
Good massage tips
Here are some tips on how to perform a simple yet effective massage for someone in need of it.
1. Use lotion or oil to make the massage easier, reduce friction and improve the skin. Lotion is a better choice because it is less messy and also cheaper than buying massage oil.
2. Use the palm of your hand or your fingers and slide up the muscles in circular or stretching motions.
3. Flatten out the muscles and move toward the heart when massaging the back or legs. Always move toward the heart to increase blood flow and remove toxins from the body.
4. When massaging the shoulders and arms, you want to flatten the muscles toward the end of the arm and hand, kind of like pushing the stress out of the body.
5. For the neck, start at the bottom and move toward the head using firm, circular motions.
“[Stress] can tighten up certain areas. Subconsciously you hold a lot of emotions, usually in the shoulders,” Mead said.
Just like the old adage, it may be true that your emotions can weigh you down. And with stress affecting your mood, it also affects your body’s safeguards against getting sick.
Mead said massage is one way to fight sickness.
“A lot of people have built-up stress in different parts of their bodies. It kind of turns off the immune system,” Mead said. “When you’re stressed you have a lot of built-up adrenaline, and adrenaline actually turns off the white blood cells so you can actually get sick from stress.”
Massage has many benefits that may not be obvious to the average observer. The main – and most obvious benefit – is a reduction in stress.
Phyllis Mann, licensed massage therapist from Healthwise Resources, 327 Sixth St., said the effects are actually much further reaching than that.
“It relieves the muscles, the tightness of the muscles. It also relieves the toxins in your system – it helps flush them out,” Mann said.
Research has also shown massage can increase immune system productivity, relieve headaches, promote healthier and deeper breathing, improve posture, enhance skin nourishment, relieve pain and increase flexibility.
Most importantly, Mann said, is it takes your mind off the countless other things you have to do in a day.
“It just lets you relax for an hour and not think about anything,” she said.
