Massage chair has been known for a lot of benefits that it bring to user. What about burning some calories while doing a massage chair sessions? Can massage chairs burn calories? This blog post will help you find out about it and hopefully answer all of your side questions about this topic.
Yes. Having a massage session can burn your calories. Our bodies burn calories every moment regardless of the activity, even when you sleep. Therefore, whether you receive a massage by a masseuse or by a massage chair, calories are burnt.
You probably ask this question because what you really want to know is that how much calories can you burn while doing a massage chair and can it help you lose weight? The answer will come to you right now.
How does massage chair burn your calories?
Our body need energy to function so as long as you live on this planet, calories are burned during every activity - when you sleep, eat, meditate, talk,.. even when you breath. The more effort you need to do an activity, the more calories will be burned.
To measure how much calories burned while engaging in an activity, you have to consider these factors: body composition, age, health, activity intensity and duration. Muscles consume more energy than fat, so a person who works out and have more muscles will burn more calories while having a massage than a person who doesn't work out. In addition, a more intense massage session can burn more calories than a slower and lighter level of massage.
How much calories can be burned while getting a massage?
Receiving a massage is a passive activity, so you probably do not burn any more calories on the massage chair than you would on the couch watching TV or on the bed sleeping. According to our research, sleeping burns about 0.42 calories an hour per pound of body weight for an average person. At this rate, a 160-pound person burns approximately 67 calories during an hour-long massage.
This is less calories burned than doing house works such as ironing (70 calories/30 minutes), washing dishes (160 calories/30 minutes), and cooking (150 calories/hour).
Can massage chair help you lose weight?
Losing weight is, in fact, a huge topic to talk about. In here we will just explain in short and related details so you do not feel overwhelming by information.
Massage chair can help you lose weight INDIRECTLY. If you want to lose weight, 2 things needed to be seriously consider: your diet and your exercise plan. These are the cores that you need to focus and work on to get muscles and be a more beautiful you.
After having a suitable diet and exercise plan for your condition, here is when massage chair comes in. It will not directly burn enough calories to help you lose the extra pounds you want, but it can support your mental and emotional health along your path to fitness.
To support your weight loss plan, massage chairs can help you:
- increase metabolism: Metabolism is your body’s capacity to burn calories. The faster your metabolism, the easier it is for your body to use the calories you consume; like when you exercise to lose weight. If you have a slower metabolism, your body takes a much longer time to burn calories you take in. Combining with an excessive diet, it can definitely result in obesity or overweight.
- boost your blood circulation: The better your blood flow (which is increased through massages and exercise) the easier it is for toxins to leave your body. Toxins are the enemy of weight loss because they can make fat harder to get rid of. You can remove them from your body via your blood vessels and your urine.
- improve your digestion: Massages ease constipation, nausea and help gastrointestinal issues. When your digestion health is optimal, your body can make the most out of the nutrients it gets, leading to helping you lose weight.
- recover and relax your sore muscles quickly after working out: A good massage after a hardcore workout can be the perfect sidekick. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massages compliment exercise. Massages help in lowering the muscles tension, increasing your motion range, reduce swelling, decrease muscle stiffness and even prevent injury.
- reduce stress: Any time that you are stressed can lead to higher cortisol levels that can increase your appetite. When you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Regularly finding ways to reduce stress will help you maintain your weight loss goals, and a couple of minutes on a massage chair for stress relief can actually do wonders for you.
- treat yourself without guilt: Massage is a calorie-free reward; a way to treat yourself after a tired and hardworking day. Loving yourself enough to give you a soothing treatment at the end of the day will surely improve your emotion, feeling, and health. This can generate weight-loss in more ways that you thought possible.
All in all, having massage chair sessions regularly can create a stronger version of your body thus a perfect backdrop for your weight loss journey. Having a massage chair at home can also be a booster for your workout routine and speed up the overall weight loss results.