Top 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Treating Yourself to a Spa Day
Stress and anxiety are not only uncomfortable, they can kill. Stress and anxiety can take a toll on your body, causing damage to your constantly elevated nervous system and stressing out your rapidly-beating heart. Currently, 72% of people say they experience stress or anxiety that interferes with their daily lives. That, simply put, is no good.
But there are numerous things you can do to ease your stress. One of which is taking a spa day! On top of relieving your anxiety, there are many other health benefits that a full day at a spa will give you. We’ll detail them below.
1. A Healthier Respiratory System
Most spas these days have saunas or steam rooms, and just a few minutes inside one can greatly improve your respiratory health. The humidity will help your airways open up, relieving the symptoms of a sore throat or asthma for some people.
Moreover, it just feels good to sweat out your stress in what is basically a giant hot humidifier. Asthma suffers report enjoying the mist of steam room in particular.
2. A Break From the Digital World
We’re too connected to our technology. Every day, we rack up hours on our cell phones, laptops, smart watches, and other cool, but addictive doohickies. Being on these things constantly prevent us from really sitting peacefully with our thoughts. We deny ourselves the ability to decompress.
This is why a spa day can be so helpful, especially for those of us that stressed out by constant work emails. At the spa, you get the chance to disconnect from the outside world and enjoy the pure physical pleasures in front of us.
3. Circulation Booster
If your local spa offers massages you should get one immediately. On top of feeling good, massages can improve your body’s blood circulation. Massages help prevent blood from pooling in your feet and other extremities and provide your sore, achy, or damaged muscles some much needed oxygen-rich blood.
With a massage, you can say goodbye to arterial congestion and hello to more limber limbs and muscles.
4. Leave Body Positive
We don’t always love the shape our bodies are in, but beating yourself up about that is not conducive to change or acceptance. This is why body positivity is key no matter what physical state we’re in.
There is significant evidence that shows that a spa day can make you feel better about your body. After all, you have to get pretty well-acquainted with your body at a spa, and other people working there do, too. This is why people leave spas feeling more at home in their skin.
5. No More Migraines
Migraines can be absolutely debilitating for certain sufferers. Some migraines can last for hours or days and be excruciatingly painful. Luckily, there is evidence that suggests that massages can reduce the severity and frequency of migraines.
A recent study has found that the severity of test subjects’ migraines was reduced by 71% after a massage! Not even extra-strength Advil can compete with those results!
For those of you that can’t afford a spa day, there is even more great news! The same study has shown that migraine sufferers can massage themselves and experience similar pain relief!
6. Goodbye Varicose Veins
Are you getting older and seeing more and more varicose veins pop up in your legs? Turns out you can do something about that! Leg massages have shown to reduce the appearance of varicose veins because they reduce the constriction of blood flow in your legs and ease your muscles, which causes varicose veins.
Massages don’t only feel good, they’ll make you look younger too!
7. No More Wrinkles
Few things in life are better than a spa facial. They feel good, clear the gunk of your pores, and give your skin a warm glow. What’s more, they actually have a literal anti-aging effect. By tightening your pores, facials prevent wrinkles and reverse other effects of aging.
Some spas, like MyBotoxLA, also provide cosmetic procedures that can make you look and feel younger as well. You’ll come out of the spa feeling brand new.
8. Serotonin Booster
Serotonin is the chemical in our brain that regulates our happiness and sense of peace and calm. When people say that massages relax them, it isn’t a placebo effect. It’s really true. Evidence has shown that massages decrease cortisol (a stress hormone) and increase serotonin in the brain.
The overall effect is a mild euphoria. This is perhaps the best benefit of going to the spa. If you’re ever feeling depressed or anxious, a massage is exactly what you need.
9. The Ultimate Detox
Let’s revisit the steam room/sauna, shall we? On top of clearing up your respiratory systems, giving yourself a full body sweat clears pores and encourages the release of toxins from your body.
If you’re looking to change your unhealthy diet or stop drinking, pressing the metaphorical reset button in a sauna is the best way to kickstart your new lifestyle.
10. Couple Up
The couple that bonds together, stays together, and we can’t think of a more romantic way enjoy each other’s company than at a spa. If your marriage is dragging and your sex life is gone, you can reignite your spark with a sensuous couple’s massage.
With the distractions of the real world out of the way, you and your partner can practice mindfulness and focus solely on being together. Your bodies’ will leave the spa more healthy, but so will your marriage.
Need More Than a Spa Day?
A spa day can do a lot to improve your physical and mental health, but if you don’t practice healthy habits in the real world, your health will regress to its old mean.
If you need help living a healthier lifestyle, you should definitely check out the Self Improvement section of our website. There, we have plenty of tips, tricks, and guides that will help you live a happier life.