If you’ve ever had a massage then you’re acutely aware of how beneficial they can be for your mental and physical health. Have you tried a massage chair, though? The advancements in today’s luxury massage chair models bring an incredible experience into the comfort of your home.
Today we’ll be answering the question, “what is a full body massage chair?” to give you a better understanding of what these incredible home additions can do for you. There’s a massage chair to fit every lifestyle, so you’re sure to find one that meets your needs.
What Does a Full Body Massage Include?
If you haven’t had a massage before or you need a little information refresh, let’s first answer the question, “what does a full body massage include?” Knowing what to expect from a full body massage can help when comparing different massage chair features.
When you go to a massage therapist, you typically choose from an available service list of different types of massage techniques and then begin. A full body massage usually includes your arms, legs, hands and feet, your neck and back, and glutes. Whether you choose a Shiatsu massage, Swedish massage, Thai massage or want to get deep tissue massage benefits, they’re all designed to relax and reduce muscle tension and stress levels.
Studies have shown the numerous benefits of massage therapy time and time again. To experience the full benefits of massage therapy, it’s best to get them regularly. This means making recurring appointments with a massage therapist, which can be difficult for your schedule and your wallet. Instead of trying to work appointments into your busy life, consider the benefits of owning a massage chair instead. Having a full body massage chair gives you the benefits of massage therapy at home on your schedule and in privacy. This is ideal for people looking to maximize their experiences without having any hassle.
What Is a Full Body Massage Chair?
Now that you’ve got a better understanding of what a massage typically includes, let’s take a look at “what is a full body massage chair?” With a full body massage chair, you can take your massage experience to the next level beyond a typical spa appointment!
A full body massage chair works on various areas, including your neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, and even feet. The best full body massage chair models available offer a plethora of massage program options and features to enhance your experience.
To continue exploring, “what is a full body massage chair?” let’s look at the different parts they typically cover:
- Neck and shoulder region
- Spine and waist areas
- Hips and thighs
- Arms and hands
- Calves and feet
Neck and Shoulder Massage
You can’t answer the question, “what is a full body massage chair?” and leave off the neck and shoulders! Muscle pain in the neck and shoulders is a common ailment that continues to grow in numbers as we spend more time looking at our computers, phones, and other screen devices. It’s estimated that up to 70% of all people will experience disruptive neck and back pain at some point in their lives. This makes neck massage benefits all the more welcome!
A full body massage chair with body scanning technology will ensure your massage begins in the right spot in accordance with your height. This massage chair feature helps ensure you’re getting the best massage experience each and every time.
Back Massage
A full body massage chair, of course, takes care of your back! Using a back massage chair can relieve much more than just back pain, however. It can be a key element to enhancing how the body heals itself, deepening relaxation, helping recover from a sports injury, and facilitating how full body massages reduce stress.
Comparing 3D vs 4D massage chairs, you can see which controls your full massage chair offers. While a 3D massage chair has rollers that are able to move up/down, side-to-side, and inward/outward from the track, a 4D massage chair also gives you control over speed and depth in a single stroke. In 3D massage chairs you’ll find options for speed and intensity, but 4D massage chairs more identically mimic the movements of a live massage therapist. This advancement in full body massage chairs effectively eliminates the difference between using a massage chair vs human massage.
Hips and Thighs
When you’re comparing massage chairs, you’ll come across S-track vs L-track massage chair options. While S-track chairs offer a full back massage, L-track chairs (also known as SL-track massage chairs) are the ones which provide a full body massage chair experience. What is a full body massage chair? The answer is an L-track massage chair.
The reason for this distinction comes from where the roller track ends. In an S-track massage chair, the rollers stop at the base of the lower back. L-track, or SL-track, massage chairs continue beyond this point to include the waist area, glutes, and top of the hamstrings. The extended roller track can benefit everyone, but tops almost any list of massage chair benefits for athletes. It can be ideal as a part of post race recovery for runners, recovering from a sports injury, and potentially preventing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in the upper leg area.
Arms and Hands
There’s no answering the question, “what is a full body massage chair?” if we leave off the arms and hands! While the rollers may not extend out to arms and hands, this is where air compression massage shines. While your luxury massage chair will have air compression chambers all over for a full body massage experience, this is the part of your chair that will service arms and hands.
Unlike the kneading, rolling, or percussive movements experienced by massage chair rollers, air compression massage is a different method for massaging your body. Different compartments (called airbags or air compression chambers) inflate and deflate against your body providing a full body massage experience. While you may be able to mimic the movement of the massage rollers if inflated and deflated rapidly enough, more often the air compression chambers are set to a wave-like motion.
There are a variety of hand and arm massage benefits. These treatments can help deepen relaxation or be targeted to help treat carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, or a plethora of other hand and arm injuries that need attention.
Calves and Feet
Progressing down the body as we explore “what is a full body massage chair?” we arrive at the calves and feet. Your calf muscles include two primary muscles in the back of your leg that connect to your heel through the achilles tendon and up to the femur bone in your thigh, causing them to play a role in bending your knee, as well. A full body massage chair will work on your calves and knees using air compression massage just like on the arms and hands. You may find massage chairs with calf and knee heat features that take this experience up a notch, providing even more relaxation and healing potential.
Completing the full body massage experience comes electric foot rollers. Soothing acupressure foot rollers provide kneading in all the right places, releasing tension and providing relief after a long day. Full coverage of the foot is achieved with multiple spinning roller tracks, and aided by gentle air compression.
We hope this guide has answered your question, “what is a full body massage chair?” With the advancements of today, massage chairs fit any lifestyle and could potentially provide a wide variety of health benefits. With a variety of options and features available, you’re sure to be able to choose a massage chair that meets your needs. Give one a shot and see just what you’ve been missing!
Want to learn more about the benefits of owning a full body massage chair? Check out these resources:
