Growing older can come with a slew of problems that slow you down and tire you out. As we head into our golden years, our joints can feel a little stiffer getting out of bed in the morning or getting up from chairs. Sleep can become a challenge as you struggle to nod off, and the ever-busy world can add stress upon stress to play on your mind.
As we age, it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves to lessen the adverse effects of aging to enjoy a better quality of life. For anyone of or above, retiree age massage can offer relief for several complaints and help you enjoy a fuller and more active lifestyle.
5 Benefits of Massage For Seniors
1. Better Sleep
There is a common misconception that older people need less sleep than younger people. Everyone can benefit from restorative sleep, as it allows our body to repair and heal itself, both mentally and physically.
Insomnia is a common concern for the older generation, with many reporting that they wake after only a few hours and sit awake waiting for the day to start.
At least once a week, regular massage for seniors can help you sleep better by relaxing and repairing your tense muscles. Massage reduces the stress hormone cortisol and increases the production of the happy hormone serotonin and melatonin, which regulates your sleep cycle.
2. Increases Blood Flow
Circulation can slow with age, causing all kinds of issues like varicose veins and swollen feet. It can also increase stiffness in the joints making it painful to move. As chance would have it, the less we move, the more our circulation struggles. A healthy diet and regular exercise can both improve circulation as can massage.
Massage moves blood around the body, pushing it around and freeing up areas that may have become congested. Massage for elderly patients can improve the flow of blood into the limbs and improve overall circulation. As a bonus, better circulation leads to improved balance too.
3. Relieves Pain
Improved circulation can be a factor that aids pain relief and improves the elasticity of joints. This is an excellent remedy for older people who are experiencing arthritic pain in their muscles and joints.
By warming up the tissues around the knee and hip joints (the most common stiffness areas in the over 60s), massage can improve joint flexibility and decrease scar tissue, thus reducing pain.
4. Relieves Depression and Loneliness
Did you know that the Red Cross offers a therapeutic hand massage service to isolated and elderly community members in some areas of the world?
The service provides soothing pain relief for stiff and achy hands and acts as a form of emotional support. The idea is that older adults receive minimal physical contact in their lives or are touch starved, leading to anxiety and depression.
Massage can negate the symptoms of touch starvation and increase the production of dopamine. Dopamine is the body’s feel-good hormone and can assist in balancing emotions.
For older people who live alone or have little social contact, a massage can decrease the feeling of loneliness and offer them something to look forward to in their week.
5. Supports Immune System
No one likes getting sick, but for older people, recovery can be more challenging than it is for healthier, younger people.
A study by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that people who received Swedish massages experienced significant lymphocyte changes, thus increasing the body’s defense against disease.
Swedish massage is a softer therapy than deep tissue and uses a method of kneading and tapping. This gentle massage also aids relaxation and pain relief, so it is an all-round winner in the massage world.
Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
– Chilli Davis, Baseball legend
Whether you are feeling your age or you still consider yourself to be a spring chicken, use massage to improve your quality of life.
Even for someone who has avoided the aching joints and ailments of age so far, regular massage can act as a preventive measure. Helping you keep a spring in your step as you enjoy life to the full.
Kristin Herman is a health enthusiast and a writer at Academized.com online writing services. Kristin assists a community charity for the elderly that aims to prevent loneliness.
