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How do you feel? By arriving at this page, maybe you are thinking you could feel better and with all the media attention on our bodies and our health, then there are so many areas for us to think about. This area of the site is designed to allow you to think about one aspect at a time, whether it be losing weight or wanting to do some exercise and have fun at the same time. Here we are examining those areas that may help improve your life, physically, psychologically and emotionally. If you want to explore how to improve financially, try our business pages.

To begin with; the following is an article combining two of the above as part of a holistic approach; massage and weight loss.

I am not promising a miracle diet at all but there is evidence that massage can help as part of a weight loss programme. This is because losing weight is most successful as part of a holistic approach or rather it usually comes as a result of a holistic approach to reaching a good sense of well being. There is no secret as to how to achieve weight loss, eat less and move more but we know that it is not that simple as there are other factors, physical and emotional, that prevent us from achieving our goal. I am going to examine how massage relates to those factors.

Massage means the manipulation of muscle using touch. It has been used for hundreds of years to stimulate, relax and soothe the body, and, arguably, the mind. There are different techniques used in massage which I shall mention during this paper but combined together they form a therapy which has been used for the benefits of health for thousands of years.

Overweight and obesity is a problem in today’s society. Figures from the Economic and Social R

esearch Council show that the rate of obesity has quadrupled in the

in the last 25 years with over half of all adults weighing more than their recommended weight. In 2002, 22% of men and 23% of women were seen as clinically obsess (Body Mass Index of over 30) and 43% of men and 34% of women overweight (BMI of 25 – 30). The problems that come with obesity are many. It increases the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. The estimated cost to the country is 18 million sick days, 30,000 deaths and £2bn a year.

Being overweight is predominantly caused by eating badly and not doing sufficient exercise but there are also reasons that prevent us from losing excess weight once it has been gained. These factors include both physiological and psychological factors and therefore both must be addressed. Below I address some of these factors and how massage can help.

We live a sedentary life now, we get up , we walk to the car, we walk to our desk and back again. Massage can help to begin with by making us more aware of our body. People lose touch with their bodies and don’t listen to them. Aches and pains are accepted as a part of everyday life taking its toll but it is a sign that our body is not well and our mind and bodies are not in tune. Just feeling the touch of someone else in massage can help us to get in touch with our bodies again in a safe, asexual, non judgmental environment. Feel your body and let the massage soothe the aches and pains and also as you become more aware of your body and more comfortable with it, exercise will not seem a high mountain to climb.

Muscles that have not been used for years are going to be flabby in tone. Healthy muscles are smooth in tone and massage, in particular hacking and other percussion techniques can help to get them going. It aids blood circulation by stimulating the areas, bringing blood to the muscles, that maybe they do not experience very often, bringing them back to life. Gentle exercise can then be begun but treat yourself with a massage afterwards. If your muscles ache think of it as a good sign, getting back into shape but use massage to flush out the toxins and improve circulation to aid with exercise.

Pettrisage, is a technique that means to need or rub with force and is used to manipulate tissues and muscles. It stretches the muscles, improving their subtleness and elasticity and helps to relax the muscle. It breaks down toxins in the body which have built up in the body like lactic acid and pettrisage helps to rid the body of these toxins which allows the muscles to work more efficiently

Our bodies are made up of 80% water and we need water to replenish ourselves. Rajgopal Nidamboor emphasizes the need for water and how it can help weight loss. Simply by drinking it before and during a meal it makes you feel full quickly and stops you eating too much. It provides the means to flush contaminants out of the body and massage alongside this can help flush those contaminants out. Also not drinking enough water can actually lead to water retention and kidney problems and how do you get rid of water retention: drink water and have a massage. Massage can help flush out toxins and water can replenish the lactins flushed out. There is even a specialized lymphatic drainage massage that is specifically designed to boost the functions of the lymphatic system and improve circulation

Good sleep habits

These are vital for good health and massage can help promote these by helping the body to relax. Massage is often the first step for very tense people to learn to relax and switch off. Also by encouraging holistic health, you can encourage people to use other ways of relaxing than using things like smoking and drinking because they are not conducive to a good nights sleep. Alcohol does not help you sleep, it disturbs sleep patterns. It doesn’t help you to fall asleep, pass out, yes, sleep no.

If you are surviving by walking gently to the car, the fridge, etc, you may be suffering from a sluggish metabolism. Massage helps stimulate circulation and therefore speeds up metabolism. Friction is a technique often used on a particular part of the body which may be causing you problems, with tight muscles for example. It works by heating up the local area and improves circulation. This also helps to promote lymph drainage, stimulate the nerves and ease tightened muscles. Percussion is another technique which is very invigorating and works to improve circulation. It also improves muscle tone by massaging the muscles as well as helping circulation by helping to break up fat deposits in fleshy areas.

People often have particular areas of their body where they are more prone to store fat for example, women after childbirth often store fat on their abdomen and because they are self conscious of it they avoid having this area massaged. This is a shame as research, such as that by Jill Russell, ND, has shown that massage can actually help in such areas.

It works by stimulating the area and creating heat which melts adipose tissue, or fat. A light effleurage movement on the stomach can get the oxygen going which burns fat and the melted adipose tissue will continue to leave the system as the massage continues. The fascia will be encouraged to relax enabling toxins to flush out and oxygen and nutrients to get in.

In summary, on a physiological level, it improves circulation allowing a more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients and more efficient and relaxed breathing. It promotes efficient waste removal, encourages sleep and speeds up digestion and waste removal. It improves skin elasticity, circulation, improve immunity and can lower high blood pressure. These allow the client to lose weight and take steps towards overall health.

This an important part of successful weight loss. People, and women especially, seem to spend a lot of time caring for others and often are too hard on themselves not allowing themselves time for themselves where they concentrate on their own needs. It is not selfish to do this and it is important to recognize that your health is the most important thing you have and you must take care of yourself first in order to be able to help others. Having a massage gives you time to relax, in a safe environment, with therapeutic benefits in a non invasive way. Techniques to help you relax include effleurage which is a soothing massage technique which involves a sweeping, relaxing stroke. It helps to soothe and relax and also helps improve circulation.

Massage can help you get in touch with your body and relax and think about things more clearly. If you do not believe that there is more to you than being thin, then it is unlikely losing weight will lead you to happiness. Being thin is not the panacea, feeling good is about self esteem and massage can start helping you feel better about yourself. Self kindness is going to help you to lose weight but more importantly it is going to make you feel better, mentally and physically.

It is believed that stress causes about 75% of diseases. Symptoms of stress include tension, irritability, insomnia, overeating and over reliance on other substances like smoking and drinking alcohol. Stress is not a modern disease, our ancestors were stressed but by different things. We feel stressed when there is a gap between what we have to do and what we perceive that we can cope with. Massage helps stress by helping us to relax and put things into perspective. It is related to obesity because people often relieve stress by overeating or going out for drinks or meals which will contribute to their weight problems. Massage must be seen not as a treat but as a necessity for health, both mental and physical. It is important for even the busiest of people to take time out to relax and once people are accustomed to massage and can see its tremendous benefits they often become open to further techniques for mental and physical well being such as meditation and visualization.

In summary, psychologically, it relaxes the body and mind reducing anxiety and gives a lift to emotions and increases positive feelings. It increases energy by invigorating body systems and reducing fatigue. It improves body image, awareness and self esteem and increases energy as less energy is spent holding the body in a state of tension and strain.

High blood pressure is when your blood pressure consistently remains above the normal level. It requires action to bring it back to the normal level otherwise you are more at risk of heart attack and stroke. It is a contraindication to massage so massage therapists should check with the GP that massage is safe as the client may be taking medication. High blood pressure can be caused by hereditary factors but it is also often associated with lifestyle factors. Stress and obesity being two contributing factors and as we have seen these can be helped tremendously with massage. Also, as part of a holistic programme, also taking into account diet and exercise, blood pressure can be brought down as it is also affected by lack of exercise and unhealthy high fat diets.

In conclusion, it must be remembered that while there is evidence that massage can help aid weight loss, as yet this evidence is less scientific and more anecdotal. However, the same could be said for the vast benefits of massage in general and yet these benefits for both physical and mental health have been recognized for thousands of years in many societies and massage continues to help people improve their well being.