Bodywork isn’t just about being pampered

We make an effort to go the dentist and eye doctor routinely. We join the gym. We attend our scheduled yoga/pilates/ crossfit classes. We keep up with haircuts. In other words, we schedule regular activities as both preventative and maintenance care.

But our bodies?  Why don’t we think of massage and bodywork as pivotal to our maintenance routine? If I use my body all day everyday, and I strive to exercise for my body’s strength and health, why would I not also give it a helping hand?

It’s okay to give your body a specific “treatment high five” for working for you all the time. It will also help keep things in shape to help avoid major setbacks. And, of course, it is always okay to simply go for the goal of relaxation. We live in an over-stimulated world, where sleep problems are pervasive, stress is high, and we don’t get enough physical activity.  

Are you a carpenter or musician? Maybe getting targeted work on forearms, hands and upper back 1-2x/month would keep you from the occasional episode of nerve pain down your arm.  

Are you a farmer or landscaper? Perhaps getting some advice about exercises that could most benefit you – especially when you’re exhausted from physical labor – so you have an efficient and effective exercise routine to keep back pain at bay.

Sit all day at a desk? Maybe your low back and hamstrings could use a little love, and also upper back and neck, particularly those little muscles right at the base of your skull.  

Are you a dancer or a runner or a cyclist? Might be nice for your calves and hamstrings, along with your glutes and quads to get some specific attention, especially when you’ve been training hard.

So if you’ve always scoffed at the idea of massage, check it out!