Pampered: Exploring The Benefits Of Foot Massages
If you feel a little stressed or need a little sexy motivation, consider a foot massage. They’re good for that and so much more.
Getting your body kneaded like you're a clump of dough can feel so relaxing, but there are also tons of benefits for your body that will give you an extra boost.
Feet tend to get neglected in our daily lives but getting you them out of your shoes and giving them a massage can be surprisingly beneficial for your entire body. Here are five benefits to massaging your feet.
1. Stress And Anxiety Reduction
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Massage therapy has been shown to reduce cortisol levels (the stress chemical). Simultaneously, massages increase serotonin and dopamine. Another study showed participants' anxiety levels decreased after they self-administered foot massages three times a week over four weeks.
2. Benefits For Your Sex Life
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Massages can increase oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and orgasm. In a 2012 study, participants had significantly higher circulating oxytocin levels in their blood after a fifteen-minute massage than they did before the treatment.
3. It Boosts Immunity
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Massages get the blood going. After a forty-five minute Swedish massage (a technique that involves long strokes, deep kneading, and circular movements to push blood toward the heart), recipients had significantly higher levels of blood proteins that play a significant role in protecting the body.
4. Better Balance
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According to one study, regular foot massages can help improve balance for the regular yogi (and occasional yogis). In it, patients did thirty minutes of massage three times a week, at which point they started seeing improvement in their stability.
5. Get To Know Your Body
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In particular, self-massage can help you discover tight areas in places you wouldn't necessarily notice during regular movement, says Dolvett Quince, the lead trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser and a massage and wellness consultant for Brookstone. When you're self-aware, you can stretch more or work out different areas to allow any sore spots to heal.