April 2024
Hello, and welcome to this month's article! It’s time for Spring! As the spring weather turns more inviting, now is the time to increase your activity level and boost both your physical health and your mood.
No matter which form of activity you choose, begin gradually and proceed at a pace that keeps you winning.
This month’s article excerpts cover the benefits of regular walking and proper rest—two things that truly complement each other.
Movement is key to maintaining your health. How does regular massage help your body, motion-wise?
During a massage, cellular exchange is increased to exchange metabolic wastes with healthy nutrients more efficiently. Exchanging metabolic wastes for healthy nutrients helps to reduce swelling and decrease pain, therefore reducing the effects of injury.
Source: Physio.co.uk
On a cellular level, massage reduces inflammation and promotes growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle. In other words, massage helps reduce pain by reducing inflammation and stimulates the power house of cells to promote muscle growth and healing.
Source: acufamily.com
Stay healthy; see you soon for your next massage!
New Research Continues to Support Massage Therapy for Improving Sleep Quality
by American Massage Therapy Assn.
(March was) National Sleep Awareness Month, and the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is sharing the latest research on how massage can improve sleep quality. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. report not getting enough rest every day and an estimated 50 to 70 million have chronic or ongoing sleep disorders. Explore recent studies on how massage therapy can help improve sleep for various populations including ... women going through menopause.
Therapeutic Touch Enhances Sleep Quality in Menopausal Women— One of the first studies to investigate the impact of therapeutic touch on sleep quality and fatigue in menopausal women was recently published. The study involved 48 women (24 in each group), with one group receiving therapeutic touch and the other receiving SHAM therapeutic touch for 10 minutes daily over five consecutive days. Results revealed that therapeutic touch significantly improved sleep quality compared to the control group, as indicated by lower post-test total sleep quality scores.
"The evidence continues to grow on the efficacy of massage therapy for improving sleep quality," said Kim Kane-Santos, AMTA National President. "Massage can be a valuable tool in helping alleviate sleep issues without the negative side effects of prescription medication."
The Importance of Quality Sleep for Your Health— There is no denying that quality sleep is crucial for your overall health and wellness. It facilitates the healing and repair of the heart and blood vessels, helps maintain a healthy balance of hormones and enhances the body's immune response. Moreover, deep sleep supports proper growth, muscle mass and tissue repair. For millions of restless Americans, massage therapy may lead to a better night's sleep.
Source: newswise.com
10,000 steps a day is a myth — so what’s the real number?
by Shyla Cadogan, RD
“Make sure to get 10,000 steps a day!” I’m sure you’ve read this or been told this before, but it’s not really rooted in science. Getting 10,000 steps has become a gold standard for healthy living in recent years, but scientists continue to show that there isn’t much validity behind it.
As far as we know today, public interest in step counting has become hugely popular in recent years thanks in part to the rise of the 10k steps per day challenge, as well as smartwatches and fitness apps making it easy to track those steps. ...
What does the research actually say? To this day, there’s little research to support the idea that you need to take 10,000 strides per day to lead a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many studies show that the sweet spot is closer to 5,000-7,000 daily steps for both older and younger adults. It’s important to know this because many influencers and “wellness” gurus continue to promote the 10,000 figure when it was never based on actual data. It was based on financial interests in selling a fitness product one year after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. ...
There isn’t a problem with wanting to get to 10,000 steps per day, but it’s important for the general public to know that it isn’t a health necessity and that there is actual evidence to support that. ...
Bottom Line— All steps count. Whether it’s a purposeful walk outside or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Research actually suggests that getting anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 per day is enough to be health-promoting.
The 10,000 steps per day movement from almost 60 years ago started as a marketing tool and wasn’t actually taken from scientific research. While more movement is generally better, there isn’t a need to fixate on getting this exact number of steps in every day. Exercise can look different for everyone, and the focus should be on doing things you enjoy in order to keep things fun and consistent while aiding you and your health goals.
Source: studyfinds.org
Benefits of Physical Activity
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
Source: cdc.gov
Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.
— Thomas Dekker
The content of this article is not designed to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, consult a physician.
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