Our Auburn Chiropractors wish everyone a very happy 2014! As the clock strikes midnight each New Year’s Eve, resolutions like these are made from around the world:
“I will workout four times a week”
“I’m going to spend more time relaxing and not worrying about work”
“No more unhealthy food this year”
Yet, most of us are guilty of breaking these resolutions as soon as the calendar turns to February. The reason why so many people don’t commit is that they’re too difficult to keep up with. It may be best to ease into more challenging New Year’s resolutions for this year by trying massages first instead.
We know that life gets in the way of our resolutions. Things like changes at work or family emergencies do happen and can put a halt to the well-meaning plans that we set for ourselves for a better quality of life. Massage can be an easy routine to follow since it is more enjoyable to have a professional do all of the work to help you feel rejuvenated. Less work and more enjoyment is a treat of a resolution to follow.
Massage not only makes you feel rejuvenated but it also has genuine health benefits as well. A division of the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine sponsored research on the health benefits of massage. It found that a single session of massage leads to positive biological changes.
Volunteers of the study experienced dramatic decreases in the stress hormone cortisol. On the other hand, massage increased the levels of oxytocin in the body. Oxytocin is the hormone associated with feeling happy and being content. The decrease of cortisol and the increase of oxytocin mean that you would feel much better after a massage than before.
You can gently massage your way to better health this New Year, which will hopefully lead to more healthy resolutions that we can keep in the future. Your Auburn Chiropractors will gladly help you on your journey to a healthier tomorrow. Contact us for more ways to improve you health before another year passes by.
Photo Credit: Dawn Ritchie cc