10 Awesome Benefits of Full Body Massage Chairs
People have been using massage as a form of therapy for thousands of years.
The first records in writing about massage are from ancient Egypt and China. Many people still study those ancient massage texts today.
For centuries after massage began, you needed another person to give you a massage. Whether the massage was gifted, bartered, or bought, there was no way to get a massage without a pair of hands.
However, this all changed in 1948, when Roland A. Labbe applied for a patent for his revolutionary new massage chair design.
He used a combination of a stool, pedestal, and a metal frame to create a chair that would vibrate and stretch the body of whoever was sitting in it.
This early design even had room for attachments, so it could be made versatile for different kinds of massage.
Although today’s massage chairs look very different, the intention is the same: to help people relax and feel great at any time.
How do today’s massage chairs work – and what exactly makes them so valuable?
In this essential guide to the benefits of a full body massage chair, we’ll explore all the reasons why you should invest in one today.
How Does A Full Body Massage Chair Work?
In order to understand the benefits of a full body massage chair, it’s helpful to understand exactly how these chairs work.
The simplest answer is this: massage chairs use robotic elements to mimic a real human massage experience. However, there is much more to what massage chairs can do.
Massage chairs are much more elaborate than their initial 1948 ancestor was. Now, vibrations, gears, motors, and rollers can all work together to massage different parts of the body in the most effective ways.
Vibration is the most basic full body massage chair technique. However, other components, like rollers, give an experience that feels more like the touch of a massage therapist.
Most massage chairs with rollers move them in a pattern that’s designed to target specific muscles or areas of the body.
Some rollers can only move in one direction, while others are attached to a robotic arm that allows them to move both vertically and side to side.
Some rollers can even move in circles. The different massage patterns will be recorded and stored in the chair, so you can access them whenever you want.
A full body massage chair also lets you change the intensity of the massage you receive.
This adjusts how much the rollers and other moving parts will press into your body, and how fast they will move.
Other Massage Chair Functions
There are other, fancier functions offered by some of the best full body massage chairs.
Many massage chairs today are able to recline, giving you an even more relaxing and enjoyable experience. There are also other methods of giving the massage itself.
Some designs use chairs that are filled with water, instead of with mechanical parts.
These chairs have waterproof coverings and a system of valves and nozzles that push jets of water against the massage recipients back – without ever getting them wet.
They even have a system to heat and cool the water to the perfect temperature.
Other chairs use airbags to reproduce the squeezing sensation that many massage therapists provide with their hands. Airbags are a great way to focus on the muscles in the legs and arms.
An air compressor inflates the airbags in the area that needs massage, giving a gentle squeeze. You may even have the option of changing the intensity of the squeeze.
Airbags can also be used in other parts of the chair, giving a tapping or rolling feeling depending on how fast they inflate and deflate.
Airbags are usually a supplement to the other mechanical parts of the chair – they can’t completely replace a roller or a vibrating sensation.
How To Use A Full Body Massage Chair
These chairs are designed to be easy to control and use, so there’s no need to be intimidated at all.
Most of the time, your chair will come programmed with a list of massage options. A remote control or set of buttons on the arm of the chair allows you to choose your settings.
Some chairs have other features, such as voice-activation technology or sensors that can tell exactly where your body touches the chair.
With so many different massage chair types and functions, there really is something for everyone. They are easy-to-use and adjustable for anyone’s needs.
And there are many amazing benefits to having a full body massage chair.
Let’s take a look at ten of the top reasons to buy a massage chair today.
1. Relax and Relieve Muscle Pain
The first and foremost reason that people love massages is that they help relieve tension in sore, tight muscles.
Whether it’s from a job, a workout, or another activity, there’s no doubt that you will encounter muscle soreness from time to time in your life. Recovery is an important part of keeping your body healthy.
When your muscles tell you it’s time for a break, a massage chair is the perfect, quick way to get your body back to normal. Not only that, but it’s one of the most luxurious ways to recover.
Using the different modes of your full body massage chair, you can target different muscle groups and release any built-up tension there.
Massage chairs are also a great way to find relief from chronic neck and back pain.
Maybe you don’t spend all day working in the active sense, but your job keeps you sitting in a desk chair for 8 hours a day instead.
In 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 32 percent of employee illness and injury cases were actually musculoskeletal issues related to work.
It’s been shown that even the most static desk jobs can actually take a toll on our bodies because they keep our backs and necks in unnatural positions for long periods of time.
No matter where your pain comes from, though, a massage chair can help you recover faster and stay pain-free longer.
2. Reduce Anxiety And Stress
Along with those painful work-related injuries, you might also have high levels of work-related stress.
Of course, there are many other stress factors in life besides work, too. Maybe considerations of family or money are the cause of your anxiety.
No matter what it is, a full body massage chair will help you find relief.
Many studies have proven that the symptoms of stress can be reduced or even eliminated by massage.
Both the physical and mental symptoms of stress can be treated effectively with a full body massage chair.
Massage has been shown to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, while also reducing signs of depression and anxiety.
With so much clinical evidence of the benefits of massage, there’s no reason to wait and suffer through high-stress levels any longer. Let a massage chair take care of it instead!
3. Increase Circulation
Another thing massage has been proven to do is increase the flow of blood throughout your body.
It only makes sense that the physical stimulation of your muscles would help blood move through the body more effectively.
Whether it’s a vibration, a roller, a squeeze, or another massage technique, these all help boost your circulation into action by stimulating your body.
Why is improved circulation such a good thing? Having better circulation means you will recover faster from an injury since blood flow is part of what the body uses to repair itself.
This will also help your body rid itself of toxins and diseases faster. Better circulation even helps produce the endorphins that keep stress and pain at bay.
4. Increase Lymphatic Circulation
Your blood isn’t the only thing that circulates more effectively after using a massage chair. The lymphatic system also sometimes needs a boost in circulation.
The lymphatic system is essentially a drainage system in the body. It helps collect by-products and wastes that result from your body’s natural functions.
The lymph nodes, a system of structures, filter fluids that are picked up by the lymph vessels.
This is one way that your body protects itself from disease. The lymph system makes antibodies and filters out dangerous organisms, using special white blood cells to destroy them.
When this system isn’t working properly, you’re at higher risk for disease.
Unlike blood, the lymph system isn’t pumped by the heart. Instead, the contraction of muscles in your body is what allows this system to work.
A full body massage chair is a great way to stimulate this system, because it squeezes and presses your muscles, helping fluid move through the lymph system as it should.
Keep swelling and illness at bay by using a massage chair to assist this natural drainage system.
5. Build Up Your Immune System
In addition to helping the lymphatic system, your full body massage chair also has other ways of giving your immune system a boost.
Those special white blood cells mentioned above are called lymphocytes. These are the blood cells that attack unwanted organisms, keeping diseases out of the body.
The more lymphocytes you have, the better you’ll be at fighting off illnesses. A session in a massage chair is a great and enjoyable way to boost your immune system’s strength by encouraging your body to produce more lymphocytes.
This way, you can prevent illness before it starts.
6. Improve Flexibility
It may seem surprising, but time spent in a massage chair can actually make you more flexible, too.
When you exercise regularly, you may develop trigger points. These points are areas where your body loses its range of motion because those muscles have been overexerted.
If you have tight, inflexible muscles grounds, these could be your trigger points. Massage is a proven way to help them relax, so you can gain back your old flexibility (and maybe even more).
7. Get Better Sleep
Massage is a great way to relax at the end of a long day and promotes better sleep so you’ll be well-rested for the next day, too.
There are many reasons a full body massage chair can positively impact your sleep. The reduction of stress and pain takes away some of the concerns that can keep you up at night.
8. Reduce Depression
Studies have also proven that massage is a great way to manage and reduce depression.
Massage stimulates the hormones you need to combat depression. Endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin can all be released after you spend time in a full body massage chair.
Whether you experience seasonal depression during the cold winter months or struggle with chronic depression all year round, a massage chair is a great addition to your strategy of managing depression.
It doesn’t take much time in the massage chair to see positive results.
9. Fix Your Posture
If you struggle with bad posture and its negative side effects, a full body massage chair can be a great help.
Good massage chairs automatically align your spine into the position it should be in.
This, combined with how a massage chair relaxes and relieves sore muscles, means that you’ll have a much easier time maintaining correct posture even after you end the massage session.
10. Get A Massage At Any Time
Many of the above benefits can also be achieved with traditional massage. However, the problem with traditional massage is that it requires an appointment.
It can be hard to book a massage therapist exactly when you need them – not to mention that you’ll need to pay for their service.
With a massage chair, though, you can get exactly the massage you need, whenever you need it.
Get Your Massage Chair Now
A full body massage chair will make a huge difference in your quality of life.
From reducing physical and psychological pain to helping you fight off diseases, this is a life-changing investment in many ways.