Massage Helps Minimize Jet Lag

There were many highlights in my trip to Italy -- the food of course, the museums, the Italian hospitality, the amazing architecture and landscape, the spas…

But I can’t say I enjoyed the jet lag. They say it takes one day for each time zone you’ve crossed (more or less depending if you’re heading West or East) to adjust back to your new or regular time zone.

Symptoms of Jet Lag:

Symptoms of jet lag include: digestive disorders, disorientation, disrupted sleep, fatigue, grogginess, headache, inability to concentrate, insomnia, irregular sleep patterns, irritability and mild depression.

Recovery:

A certain amount of jet lag is unavoidable while traveling great distances by airplane because your body's natural rhythms have become out of sync with local time, but as a massage therapist, I recommend getting a massage to minimize the amount of time it takes to recover. It certainly helped me.

Benefits of Massage:

Improved sleep is one of the benefits of massage therapy and jet lag is considered a sleep disorder. Don’t we instinctively rub someone’s shoulders to help them relax or gently stroke the head or backs of babies to coax them back to sleep? Isn’t therapeutic touch what massage is all about?

Many people have said they’ve slept well after receiving a relaxing massage and some people even fall asleep in the middle of a treatment – I know I nodded off in an Italian spa while I was getting a pedicure! I think it was during the foot massage.

So if you’re experiencing jet leg like I did recently, get a massage. It can help you get a better night’s sleep and get over your jet lag sooner.