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the health benefits of massage

we truly wish that massage was a regular part of healthy living and that insurance companies covered it under preventative care more often. there is more to massage than just relaxing and being pampered:

• manages and relieves pain
• stimulates the lymphatic system, and moves out toxins
• improves blood circulation and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your cells
• releases stress and tension
• increases joint flexibility and improves range of motion
• reduces blood pressure
• enhances the health and nourishment of the skin
• reduces anxiety and calms the nervous system
• strengthens the immune system
• improves posture
• increases awareness of mind-body connection

spending the money to get a massage...

unlike our other 'Healthy Beauty' stories, massages aren't that cheap or free. but, they are not an impossible thing to make a part of your life. the biggest problem most people have with getting a massage is that they feel like it's an 'extra' and not something you should get to do very often, so they just decide they don't deserve to spend the money on it. we think it's truly a really healthy thing, and you shouldn't feel guilty about say... 2 massages a year, one every couple months, or even once a month. depending on where you live, most massages usually range in price from $60 an hour to $85 an hour. if you think about it, you could find ways to 'let yourself' afford it without feeling guilty. for instance...

• save your change in a jar - after about 6 months you could likely afford one!
• create a massage fund - put in 1 dollar per day, and you could get a massage every 2 months.
• cash your recycling in and donate to your pampering :D
• have a yard sale with your friends, then you can all go have a princess day, and know you earned it!
• if you eat out a lot, you could kill two birds... eat at home where you're likely to eat healthier, and use the money to instead save up for a massage.
• cut coupons for a month! haha, we know it's nerdy, but if you had the goal of getting a massage at the end, it's likely to motivate you.
• if you go out to clubs, you know it's easy to spend $60 in a night - truly think about it - cover charges, drinks, drinks for your friends, cab rides, late night eating... if you went out one less night, you could get a massage instead!
• consider it a beauty product. think of all the lotions, creams, skin treatments, and random beauty products you spend money on but end up never using. you likely have $60 worth of beauty product randomness in your bathroom. you could resist the urge to buy things that might work, and instead get a massage which you know will help you!
• this is our favorite. change your perspective. just decide it's ok to deserve it. if you can truly afford it, realize it's genuinely healthy, and you are worthy of being pampered!

a cheaper massage option...

even with all those ideas, getting massages may just not be reasonable for a lot of people. we don't think that means you should give up on the idea though! even though it isn't quite the same, you could still get some of the awesome benefits of massage with a hand held massager. you can find them for about the price of one massage - or even less, and you can use it whenever you want! you'll still get a lot of the physical benefits and a little bit of pain relief and relaxation too.

we actually own this exact massager, and we use it like everyday no joke - love it.

Homedics Hand Held Percussion Massager »