Every year AAMT (Australian Association of Massage Therapists) promotes Massage Therapy Week. This year’s focus was on Men’s Health and Wellbeing and to help spread the message AAMT invited international cricketer Brett Lee to be their spokesman. In the latest issue of the Journal of the Australian Association of Massage Therapists, Brett Lee was quoted as saying that “the physical benefits of massage therapy include the relief of stiff and sore muscles, reduced inflammation and swelling and a quicker recovery from injury. It encouraged relaxation at the end of a hard day’s play.”
The aim of Massage Therapy Week this year, which ran from September 2-8, was to highlight, to men in particular, how receiving regular massage can improve their quality of life along with many other health benefits.
For those men who have never tried massage therapy, Brett Lee says: ‘Let massage become part of your health plan. It helps improve performance and recovery, it can prevent and eliminate injury, control fatigue, increase endurance and generally improve your health and well-being. It also increases your vitality and general sense of wellbeing and calmness.’
The AAMT President Gary Lavis brought attention to the different types of massage therapies men can chose from to suit their needs and encourages men to try massage at any stage of life. Some of the choices include:
Remedial Massage
Acts to restore healthy function through the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of biomechanical dysfunction or injury.
Sports Therapy Massage
Focuses on treatment and prevention of sports related conditions, such as training stresses, preparation for an event and recovery.
Relaxation Massage
Helps to reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can have negative impacts on physical and/or mental performance.
When asked to give the three main benefits he’d experienced through massage therapy Brett Lee’s response was, “It helps relax muscles, gives me better range of motion, improves and increases energy and leaves me with a feeling of wellbeing.”
Here are another 8 reasons to try massage therapy:
- Effective in the management of subacute or chronic low back pain,
- Improves heart rate and blood pressure,
- Reduces inflammation, helps with recovery
- Alleviates pain and stiffness improving flexibility,
- Reduces stress and anxiety,
- Reduces depressive symptoms,
- Promotes relaxation,
- Improves quality of life physiologically and psychologically.
