Visiting a spa is often looked at as a luxury but according to spa aestheticians, you don't only come away looking beautiful, you can come away feeling healthier with many health benefits resulting from treatments such as massage.Here in the UK, our life is fast-paced, often stressful. With this in mind no wonder there is an increasing trend of people taking time out of their busy lifestyles and heading to a health spa to relax and unwind. A spa massage helps in total body relaxation and helps you derive mental peace.
A fitness spa will help you improve your body circulation and pave the way for flushing of toxins. It ensures that you sleep properly in the night, get up fresh and active in the morning and can work against muscle pains. Spa massage is a delightful experience that rejuvenates you completely.
Spas have become much less about indulgence and much more about healthy lifestyles and learning to appreciate your body. More men are getting their fingernails cleaned (it?s about time), and more teens are dragging in their modest mothers to try out that new thigh-high endermologie treatment that's all the rage.
Spas offer different procedures that boast medical benefits and one spa staple, the massage, is one such procedure. All massages are beneficial to your health as they help to relieve stress and improve the detoxifying functions of the lymphatic system. It also improves the circulation of the blood and is effective in pain management, especially for people with arthritis, headaches and muscle spasms.
The Health Benefits of Massage
- Massage calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being.
- Massage reduces tension and anxiety.
- Massage improves blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
- Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body?s waste products.
- Massage prevents and relieve muscles cramps and spasms.
- Massage therapy can also help with pain management in conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, muscle spasms.
- Aromatherapy massages where special scents like rosemary and lavender are used enhance the tension-relieving process with their rejuvenating and relaxation properties.
- Getting a massage, however, is not a replacement for visiting your doctor if you have serious injuries. If you have serious injury, you have to speak to a doctor before you get a massage.
There are many claims about the health benefits of saunas including good for weight loss, cleansing the body of toxins, lowering cholesterol, relieving the symptoms of arthritis and treating respiratory problems like bronchitis and laryngitis. Some of these claims may be exaggerated, but others may have sound scientific foundations.
Losing Weight
It is suggested that saunas are an effective way to lose weight. They point to the fact that when you are in a sauna your heart rate increases and the body is working to cool itself. You may hear a figure of 300 to 500 calories burned during a 30 minute sauna session. It is true that the heart rate increases during a sauna, and it?s also true that you are burning calories because of that. However, during a regular exercise session your body is using many muscles ? in a sauna the heart is the only muscle being exerted.
Building and toning muscles is more important for weight loss than exerting your heart. The bottom line is if you want to lose weight, do some exercise. A sauna afterwards is a bonus, but it will not help much in your weight loss program.
Toxins
'Saunas rid the body of toxins.' This claim is made by many sauna manufacturers and retailers and it is also a commonly held belief among sauna enthusiasts. The fact is there is no scientific evidence that toxins such as heavy metals (such as lead and mercury) or other such toxins are eliminated from the body by sauna use. These kinds of claims are heard more in relation to Infrared saunas than traditional saunas, but either way, there's no evidence for it.
Lowering Cholesterol
This is another dubious claim put forward by many sauna retailers. Taking regular saunas is supposed to reduce cholesterol without any change in the diet. There is no scientific evidence for this.
Are There Any Real Benefits?
After looking at some of the quackery associated with saunas one might be tempted to write off any claims of therapeutic value. Don't be so fast ? there are real benefits to taking saunas and their use can be part of a regular health regime.
Physical Effects
During a sauna the heart rate increases and the blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased blood flow. Blood flow to the skin increases and heavy sweating is induced. The nasal passages open allowing the sinuses to drain.
The heat experienced in saunas can have real health benefits. Arthritic and rheumatic patients will feel less pain and experience greater joint mobility. This effect, though, will pass once the sauna is finished. Athletes can benefit from a sauna before working out because the heat causes the joints and muscles to be more flexible.
Probably the biggest health benefit of saunas is the relaxation they induce. Our modern lives are filled with stress and the accumulated affects of stress can be the root of many health problems. Saunas are relaxing and calming and provide a great way to unwind at the end of the day. A sauna before bed promotes deep sleep ? necessary for the body to rejuvenate and recuperate.
People with health problems should consult with their doctors before using saunas but for most the sauna is safe and beneficial when taken in moderation.
Spa Hotels
In the UK we are blessed with so many spas to choose from. From Scotland, all the way down to
Spas in Cornwall, Spas all have their unique features and packages. Coastal Spas have the added attraction of the fresh sea air and coastal walks adding to the overall relaxing experience. Go and spoil yourself, take some time out of your daily routine and treat yourself to a relaxing spa.Steven Seagull reviews Cornwall Hotels in Falmouth Hotel & Spa and enjoys Spas in Cornwall.
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