If you’ve been to a massage therapist before, you may be aware of how comfortable and relaxing a massage can be. Did you know you can get the same benefits at home from your massage chair? Massage chairs are great because they allow you to experience a full body massage on your schedule and from the privacy of your own home. This makes it much easier to incorporate into your self care routine.
Today we’re answering the question “are massage chairs good for you?” with a resounding yes and exploring how they benefit your body.
How Are Massage Chairs Good For You?
Today’s massage chairs have come a long way from their more basic counterparts of decades past. Now you can choose from a variety of massage techniques like shiatsu and Thai massage, use custom programming options to choose your own speed and intensity, experience the benefits of heat therapy from enhanced massage chair features, and more. A list of the benefits of owning a massage chair could go on forever!
To give you a better understanding of your question “are massage chairs good for you?” let’s look at:
- Potential massage chair benefits for back pain
- How massage chairs could help with stress management
- Ways massage chairs may help boost your immune system
- Improving relaxation and sleep quality with massage chairs
- Benefits of massage chairs for athletes
Note: It’s important to remember that you should speak to a medical professional before starting any self-treatment routines at home to ensure it's safe for you to do so.
Do Massage Chairs Help Back Pain?
Are back massage chairs good for you? We can’t overstate the potential benefits of massage chairs for back pain. Back pain is a common heath ailment experienced by an estimated 80% of all adults at some point in their life. As one of the top massage chair benefits for health, you’ll find regular massage can help keep a healthy spine and alleviate pain you may be experiencing.
How exactly are back massage chairs good for you in this way, you ask? The most obvious way is that massage has been shown to help back pain by improving blood circulation which leads to faster bodily healing. Massage also helps loosen up tightened muscle groups, which can be a prime source of back pain.
When you’re comparing massage chairs today, you’ll find many offer heat therapy for back pain, which adds an additional element to your recovery. Some massage chairs also have zero gravity reclining capabilities, which takes pressure off the lower back and pelvic region. Combining the zero gravity position with heat therapy and massage rollers means your massage chair isn’t just good for back pain, it’s great for it!
Massage Chairs Help With Stress Management
Next up in our answer to “are massage chairs good for you?” is how massages reduce stress. Stress and anxiety can bring you down when left unchecked and contribute to other health conditions such as depression, muscle fatigue, and back pain. Some of the ways getting a massage for anxiety and stress helps are:
- Relaxing muscle tension in the body
- Lowering cortisol levels
- Alleviating pain causing anxiety and stress
- Boosting serotonin to reduce anxiety
While we can’t completely avoid stressors in our daily lives, it’s important that we learn how to manage anxiety and stress levels to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy. Regular use of a massage chair may help reduce stress levels and boost our overall well being.
Massage Chairs May Help Build a Strong Immune System
There are a lot of factors that go into how to build a strong immune system. Our immune system is what helps keep us strong and healthy while fighting off viruses, bacteria, or other illnesses. Then how do massage chairs help our immune system, you ask?
Massage chairs are good for you and may help build a strong immune system by:
- Stimulating the lymphatic system to flush toxins from the body
- Reducing stress levels
- Increasing blood circulation for faster bodily healing
- Improving sleep quality
The combination of stress management, better blood circulation, better sleep, and other health benefits of massage chairs work together to boost your immune system naturally. This makes it clear that massage chairs are good for your body and may help keep you healthy.
Pro Tip: Make the most of your time using a massage chair and learn how to create a spa at home for luxurious self care!
Massage Chairs Are Good for Relaxation and Sleep Quality
If you’ve ever experienced a massage before, then you know the only answer to the question “are massage chairs good for you and your body?” is yes. We’ve talked about how massage chairs help manage stress levels, but the chemical reactions within your body that help reduce stress also work to deepen your relaxation.
When you get a massage, your cortisol levels decrease. Cortisol is a natural stress-related hormone in our bodies that gives us our fight-or-flight responses to stressful situations. In addition to this reduction, studies have shown that serotonin levels increased an average of 28% after getting a massage. Serotonin acts as a mood stabilizer, which is part of what elevates your mood and deepens your relaxation while using a massage chair.
While it’s not recommended to sleep in your massage chair for long periods of time, the relaxation, pain relief, and stress reduction you feel may also contribute to better sleep quality at night. So often our sleep deprivation is tied to physical pain we may be feeling or stress and anxiety that’s preventing our minds from unwinding. Regular use of a massage chair may help alleviate these symptoms, allowing you to get the restful sleep you need to take on each day to the fullest.
Benefits of Massage Chairs for Athletes and Active Individuals
Last up in our answer to the question “are massage chairs good for you and your body?” is to explore massage chair benefits for athletes. For those with active lifestyles, taking care of your body needs to be a top priority. Massage chair features like heat therapy, chromotherapy, and zero gravity reclining capabilities make them potentially effective recovery tools for athletes. Massage chairs may also be beneficial for athletes who need to learn how to make an injury recover faster.
Some of the biggest massage chair benefits for athletes include:
- Increased flexibility to protect range of motion
- Pain relief from the strain on your body
- Custom massage programming using integrated massage chair app
- Post-workout recovery to prevent stiffness
- Muscle targeting capabilities to alleviate muscle soreness
- Deeper relaxation after physical activity
Whether you’re looking at how to avoid running injuries, want a tool for tennis recovery, or simply want a method for taking care of your body after intense physical activity of any kind, using a massage chair may be beneficial. The ability to experience the benefits of massage therapy at home on your schedule makes it even more easy because you’re not having to find time to schedule massage therapist appointments.
As you can clearly see, the answer to the question “are massage chairs good for you and your body?” is absolutely yes. We hope our guide has given you a more thorough understanding of the many benefits of massage therapy at home. Before beginning any home treatments, be sure to consult a medical professional to ensure it’s safe for you. After you’ve been given the green light, choose a massage chair that fits your needs and you’ll notice the difference they may make right away.
For more insight into how to choose a massage chair and their benefits for all lifestyles, check out these resources:
