The Importance of Maintenance

Fill in the blank time...
Your body is a _________
A. Vehicle
B. House
C. Source of life and well-being
D. All of the above

The correct answer is D. Your body is a vehicle in that it transports you from place to place, task to task. Your body houses your organs, fluids, bones, and everything else that helps you function. As for your body being a source of life and well-being (which seems like the most obvious answer) well, you wouldn't have much of a life or any well-being without a properly functioning body would you?

Each of these things; vehicle, house, source of wellness; have something in common. They all need to be taken care of. Your car needs regular work in the form of tune-ups, oil changes, and tire rotations. Your house needs regular cleanings, occasional repairs to the windows, and the driveway resealed. To keep your well-being in a good place, you need a release from stress and a time to relax and rejuvenate. Each of these individual things have one major thing in common: Maintenance.

Maintenance is a regular form of work done to keep something working at its best and to prevent damage, and for your body, Maintenance Massage is one of the best ways of keeping your body at its best. Most people only think of seeing a massage therapist when they are hurting or extremely stressed out. Very few realize that just like a car, if you wait until something is actually wrong, it takes longer to fix. Even if nothing is actually wrong, small problems can still develop at any time and keeping the small problems in check can keep bigger problems from developing.

A short, regular massage can get rid of the minor aches, tightness, and stress that accumulate through everyday life. As these small, minor aches and soreness accumulate over months and years, they can become major problems like chronic pain which will then result in a bad downward spiral consisting of either your taking loads of pain killers (and eventually ruining your stomach and other systems) or seeing multiple doctors and specialists who inevitably will stick you in Physical Therapy costing you your time, money, and sanity. Why put off something so simple that in the end can help you in so many ways?

Maintenance massage doesn't have to be long or elaborate. Many therapists offer a short simple massage that is perfect for keeping away those little aches and sore spots. Usually a 15 or 30-minute massage focused on your most troubled areas once a month or every three weeks is enough to keep you in great shape and can fend off many developing major issues.

To make the most of the short focused massage, think about which areas need the most maintenance based on the individual. If you sit at a computer all day, you might want a quick untangling of the knots in the neck and shoulders. Golfers, bikers, or weekend athletes might want their shoulders or legs kept loose so they don't injure themselves each time they play. If you have a demanding boss and many stressful deadlines, you may need to clear your mind and relax to keep your sanity and stay focused on work.

No matter how active or inactive a person is, regular maintenance and care keeps the overall body in the best shape it can be. Just because you feel like you aren't in excrutiating pain, doesn't mean that deep under the surface, little issues are slowly uniting to someday become bigger issues. One short massage once a month is a simple and effective way to ensure that your body keeps moving, functioning, and keeping you well.


Coming Next Time......A Stone's Throw From Paradise