If you've been reading this site, you already know about some of the therapeutic effects of massage. But the real value of massage goes beyond the emotional connection. That’s not to discount a “relaxation value” of massage at all, since all kinds of wellness are interconnected. However, in winning skeptics over to what massage can do for a fitness program, there are a couple of specific additional points that show exactly how this kind of physical therapy promotes some of the beneficial aspects that we crave when starting a fitness routine.

We know that tension and stress lead to weight gain, somehow. Again, referencing an emotional or spiritual element helps to explain this link: stress naturally “weighs down” the mind and body, waging a battle of attrition against the positive momentum someone needs to start a fitness or weight loss routine. But there is also a physical link: a hormone known as “cortisol” is actually secreted by stressful stimuli. In turn, this stuff leads to a higher production of insulin, which throws off the “sugar levels” in the body, and continues a chain reaction that leads to fat storage. This concrete process gives rise to a more specific polemic from “health advocates” who are currently promoting massage is something integral to bodily wellness, and not just an emotional relaxation tool.

There is also that age-old connection between stress and food: specific stressors often initiate a “craving” response from the body, and, with the wide availability of “junk food”, the result is, perhaps, predictable.

How does massage it in? Well, first off, it reduces stress in most individuals simply through the therapeutic motion, the mental association with relaxation, and its effect on loosening muscle groups. There is also the argument that massage can fire up an individual's metabolic rate because of the heat generated through the kind of passive muscle movement that occurs when a masseuse is kneading those muscle tissues in specific ways. Then there's also the issue of stimulating blood flow, which many fitness experts see as conducive to greater wellness and an improved metabolism.

All of this reinforces the argument of massage advocates that what's commonly seen as constituting “medicine” should go beyond pharmaceuticals and include natural therapies like massage. It's worth noting that some national health systems do have a greater massage component built into the range of therapies available under group insurance plans. It's also a popular theory that when our perception of healing does finally go beyond pills, massage will become part of the new pantheon for wellness, something that we no longer view only as a frivolous service but also as a very basic and effective therapy for a range of health conditions. Until then, it's incumbent on those who want to advocate for massage to teach it to the public, encouraging “informal massage” to become more of a common practice for fighting off some of the maladies associated with modern life. Eventually, though, the goal is for this awareness to spread enough so that those who can really benefit from massage can build into their routine with the help of their doctor and medical provider.