Anyone who has ever heard of a weight loss massage probably wondered, “How can a massage help me lose weight?”
Good question, we wanted to find out how exactly how a weight loss massage can help you lose fat.
If you have read our article about knee fat tips you will remember the importance of getting your hormones in sync so that your body can optimally burn fat for fuel.
Initially, I thought that massages may help with weight loss this way; by helping to reduce stress and therefore reducing the stress hormone cortisol. But why would that help you lose weight?
Well, cortisol is known to lead to the accumulation of adipose tissue. As it turns out, a massage can help you reduce fat through some other indirect methods as well.
Increased Nutrient Delivery Through Increased Circulation
One of the key things that a good massage does to your body (besides making it feel relaxed) is that it boosts and clears out your circulatory system.
By helping your blood flow through your body, massage helps your circulatory system more efficiently deliver the needed nutrients throughout your body. Besides nourishing your body, your circulatory system is also crucial for doing something else…. can you think of what it is?
Increased Toxin Removal Through Increased Circulation
If you guessed something concerning toxins, you were spot on. Your circulatory system also helps remove toxins in your body via the kidneys and urinary tract. If your blood flow increases through massage (and exercise of course) then your body will remove more of its toxins through your urine.
This is great for fat loss because many of these toxins in our body attribute to fat accumulation. So, the more of these we can remove the better we can lose fat and it is better for the overall health of our bodies too.
One of the most beneficial and immediately noticeable aspects of toxin removal will come in the form of lactic acid removal. When you are exercising and hitting it hard in the gym or running a lot your muscles are going to start to get sore.
This is due to the by-product of a lack of oxygen getting to your muscles, the result is lactic acid. Over time this can really build up and make it more difficult for you to work out. A good masseuse’s hands can help work this acid back into the bloodstream for removal in as little as one session!
To recap, the main way a massage can help you shed weight is by optimizing your nutrient delivery and shortening your muscle recovery time between intense workouts.
This helps you build and strengthen your muscles faster. And more muscle is going to equal greater fat loss because when you workout your muscles intensely through weight training, those muscles are not only burning calories for energy during your workout.
They also burn more calories throughout the entire day both for fuel and in order to repair micro tears in the muscles that were worked out.
Benefits of Massages Beyond Fat Loss
Fat loss is not the only benefit or goal of a good massage. Of course, most people know this benefit of getting the knots worked out of your muscles… it plain feels good!
Massage is a proven stress reducer and as we mentioned earlier this helps you with weight loss by helping lower excess Cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in your body. Beyond that, it is good for your mental well-being if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with everyday hustle and bustle.
You can also reduce excess stress in your life through meditation, hypnosis, listening to relaxing music, mild exercise (walking, swimming, hiking, etc.), watching a comedy, or whatever other techniques you have found that work well for you.
Another side benefit of reducing your Cortisol levels through massage is that you can prevent overeating and binge eating which is often times caused by stress rather than true hunger. Find healthy ways of dealing with stress instead of stuffing your mouth with unhealthy or excess food and you will notice the difference in a month’s time.
I Would Love To Get A Massage But…
They are too expensive… there are no masseuses in my town… I don’t want a stranger touching my body.
Some people have different excuses for avoiding a healthy massage but if you are reading this on the internet then you really have no excuse because you can take manners into your own hands.
Go to YouTube and look up some different massage techniques and tutorial videos. You can learn in no time by watching a few videos. And you do not need to become an expert to reap the benefits of getting a massage.
In fact, you can learn some simple self-massage techniques and work on a different body part each night before bed. There’s no better way to start learning than to do it to yourself. Of course, if you have a significant other, get them involved as well. This way you can save money and learn more about how to de-stress your own body.
Leave a Reply