Massage is a wonderful remedial therapy, which can be great for our bodies on so many different levels. The gymnasium experience is another kettle of fish entirely. I would use the Chinese analogy of Yin and Yang to illustrate the difference between these two essentially distinct pastimes. Most massages are received and are therefore in the Yin camp; energy is being channelled from outside to in. A gym session, generally, involves the participant generating their own expression of energy in the form of exercises performed. Thus, the gym time is Yang.
Massage Your Way to Beauty: Are Massages Better Than Gym Time?
We all need both Yin and Yang experiences in our lives. Too much massage, no good. Too much gym work, equally not good. Balance is required. Of course, we do not all start from the same position on the scale, some of us need more Yin or Yang in our lives at a particular time. In this day and age, most people are lazy, they drive everywhere in their cars, and are continually surrounded by labour saving devices at work and in the home. A few trips to the gym, regular brisk walking around parks and nature reserves, swimming in sports pools and cycling are all recommended in this sedentary world we inhabit in the twenty first century.
Massage after exercise is recommended; but those who advocate massage machines as an alternative to exercise are just trying to sell more machines. Too much Yin makes Johnny a dull fat boy. Lying around and getting massaged is not the answer. You want complete care, not just a one way therapeutic street. We have monkey bodies and those monkeys need to get out and about. Get off your arse and swing out more. The gym is only an urban answer for those who don’t make the effort to get out outside.
Nature is the real answer to a healthy lifestyle, Engage with nature vigorously, wherever you can. Swim in the ocean and in rivers. Walk in the bush and in parklands. Run through the woods and in nature reserves. Cycle safely on cycle paths and suitable roads. If you want to look beautiful, you need to feel alive and vibrant. There are no short cuts, despite the fact that advertising is constantly telling and trying to sell them to you. Massage and exercise go together like salt and pepper, like breathing in and out.
