How Massage Therapy and Healing Touch Benefits Weight Loss

 Millions of Americans will attempt to start their 2021 with a weight loss-focused resolution. Before you tackle your weight loss challenge, have you thought about incorporating regular massage therapy into your fitness plan? We all know that there are many benefits to regular massage therapy, but you might be surprised that massage therapy has many positive benefits for weight loss. 

Help with Weight Loss

In addition to healthy eating and regular workouts, specialized massage techniques can help you with your weight loss goals. Massage therapy breaks down subcutaneous fat that will help you get rid of unwanted cellulite. When you’re losing weight your body is working hard; massage therapy can help heal your muscles and treat the body pain you have to endure throughout your journey. After a relaxing massage, your body will feel recharged and ready to get back to work. 

A Partner in Your Corner

Losing weight is one of the most challenging things for you to accomplish. Going at it alone is tough. If you have a personal trainer, you’ll have someone in your corner helping to guide you along the way. Your massage therapist is also another great resource for support. You can talk to your therapist about your body, your concerns and any pain you might have. They’ll customize a massage to you, and they’ll be there to cheer you on throughout your weight loss challenge. 

Reward Yourself

One of the key ingredients to a successful weight loss plan is rewarding yourself for small accomplishments. Along with the health benefits, receiving regular massage therapy will act as a way to reward yourself for meeting a goal. Relax your body with massage after a tough workout as well as heal your mind. Losing weight is not just a physical change, as it also requires a mental change in attitude. After all, you’re changing your entire lifestyle, which is stressful. Massage therapy will ease your stress and allow yourself to reconnect with your mind and get rid of any negativity that might exist. 

There’s no hiding that losing weight is a challenging mission and it’s important to have a good plan in place. Consult with me before you begin your training regimen. We'll create a custom massage therapy program that will help you meet your weight loss goals.

Another therapy to consider while on your weightloss journey is Healing Touch. The following are areas in which Healing will help. 

Reducing Stress 

A study published in November 2016 in Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem found healing combined with massage led to a 21 percent reduction in anxiety levels, compared with a 16 percent reduction for massage alone. How does destressing help your weight-loss efforts? According to Harvard Health Publishing, stress is linked to weight gain because increased stress levels release the hormone cortisol, which amps up your appetite. Oftentimes, your go-to foods when you’re stressed will be unhealthy comfort foods that are high in fat, sugar, calories, or all of the above. Eating these kinds of food actually makes you become hungrier a short time later, so the cycle of increased calories continues.

Promoting Quality Sleep 

Although there’s no solid research showing this benefit, but better-quality sleep is one of the possible benefits of healing touch. That, in turn, could help your waistline the same way stress reduction does: by promoting healthier food choices. Normal-weight adults who are deprived of sleep for only a short period of time will have a boost in hormones that encourage eating high-fat and high-sugar foods. A review and meta-analysis published in November 2016 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found sleep deprivation led people to consume 385 extra calories per day, on average, which can lead to weight gain over time.

Increased Mindfulness 

The Healing Touch benefit helps if called upon while eating. By not engaging in distracted eating, such as snacking while driving or watching TV, you may make better food choices. A review published in March 2018 in Current Obesity Reports says mindful eating can help with portion control and reduce food cravings, body weight, and BMI.