When You’re New to Massage Chairs, You Need to Learn the Basics
If you just bought your first high-end massage chair, we welcome you to a new life of relaxation. You have numerous days of comfort, tranquility, and an overall increase in your daily happiness ahead of you. As a first-time massage chair owner, however, you’ll want to take it slow. Getting used to your massage chair is like anything new. It takes time and patience to create the best possible outcome.
Do Massage Chairs Work?
If you’ve ever dealt with any kind of chronic muscle pain, you understand stiffness and the pain that it can bring. Thankfully, technology has come a long way to provide relief from these symptoms, and one of the best choices among them is of course the massage chair. If you are not used to full-body, deep tissue massage, we recommend starting with shorter sessions will be the best place to begin. But what does a shorter session entail and how often a day or week can you enjoy them?
Let’s dive into that now.
How Often Should You A Massage Chair?
The recommended time to spend in a massage chair at any one time is fifteen minutes, and we know that doesn’t seem like long. When you’re dealing with a lot of pain it can be tempting to sit there for longer, but when you’re just starting out it’s best to stick to the 15 minutes.
The saying, “Everything in moderation” definitely applies to this situation. Too much time spent receiving a deep tissue massage can bruise your muscles, particularly if you have just started getting used to a massage chair. It can even damage and cause inflammation in the body’s soft tissues, as well. We don’t want that.
Most models have an automatic timer on them to ensure that you do not go over a certain time limit. Some will have massage programs that will shut off after so long. If it doesn’t or the program you’re using isn’t timed or the right time, just set yourself a timer on your phone, microwave, etc. to ensure that you stop after too long. It’s important to have this timer or alarm because reclining in a massage chair can be so relaxing that you’ll actually fall asleep!
While it may feel so incredible that you want to stay all day in the chair. In reality, that of course would not be practical, but it also would not be safe to do. Plus, this may seem strange to hear, but there is also no added benefit to using the chair for longer periods of time in one day. A massage chair’s benefits are best achieved in shorter periods for a number of reasons.
Benefits of Massage Chairs
One of the main benefits of a massage chair is that it can help to improve your circulation. This is especially beneficial for those who spend long periods of time sitting down as it can help to reduce the risk of developing blood clots.
Additionally, massage chairs can help to increase flexibility as they gently stretch your muscles. This helps to improve range of motion and prevent injuries from occurring.
For those that suffer from chronic pain, using a massage chair can be an effective way to manage pain. The gentle vibrations and massaging motions work to relax tense muscles and relieve pain.
Additionally, massage chairs have been shown to reduce stress levels. This is because when you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol which can lead to physical symptoms like headaches and muscle tension. By reducing stress levels, you can help to improve your overall wellbeing.
Lastly, massage chairs have been shown to improve sleep quality. This is likely due to the fact that they help to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining your health and wellbeing so if you’re struggling to get quality sleep, using a massage chair may be a good solution for you.
Why Start With Short Massage Increments?
As your body gets used to using a massage chair, you can work your way up to longer increments, however, it’ll never be like you’re spending an hour in your chair. Luxury massage chairs like those offered by us offer extremely effective deep pressure massages. The rollers in even the most gentle chair are powerful and designed to work out knots and rejuvenate problem areas across your body. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that because they are powerful and designed to work quickly, sitting in a chair for too long just isn’t smart.
It can be easy to get carried away. As we just stated, the good thing is that most fine chairs offered, including those from top brands like Ohco, Osaki, Infinity, Positive Posture, Human Touch, and Luraco, have massage timers. You’ll also find options for intensity that you can turn all the way down when you’re first using it to see what level is right for you. Plus, you can use padding when first acclimating to the chair as well.
The ideal duration to use the chair is short intervals from anywhere between two and 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes are more than enough to receive the benefits, comfort, and relaxation a massage chair offers to your sore muscles. As stated using a chair for longer periods can injure your muscles or worsen pre-existing injuries.
There are sessions designed to work the entire body where you might want to spend the entire 15 minutes and there are some that work a specific area, which might be better at shorter intervals like 10 or five minutes.
You can use your massage chair about three to four times per week for maximum effectiveness for lower back, neck, or shoulder pain. If you are using the chair for stress relief or relaxation, one to three times per week should be just fine. You can also just enjoy a light, shorter massage when you feel stress is affecting your behavior.
It’s also important to remember that the duration and frequency of use of your chair can depend on your body and general health. For instance, for neck, shoulder, or lower back pain, using the chair for a full body massage chair for fifteen minutes three or four times a week is sufficient.
Use the built-in timers to keep yourself on track and avoid overusing your massage chair.
Additionally, if you’re considering a massage chair for back pain, other muscle pain, or a specific muscle concern, you should always consult with your doctor. This goes double for those who are pregnant, dealing with chronic conditions, or who’ve been recently injured.
You’ll want to talk about any pre-existing conditions you have, such as heart problems, low blood pressure, or blood clotting issues, because a massage can affect those conditions and more. Your doctor will come up with the best use of a chair in your unique situation.
If you’re tired of stress and muscle pain interrupting your life and want to make a change, a massage chair can help reduce pain and tension. It can be a very solid investment in yourself that can help you to improve and/or maintain your health and quality of life.
A Massage Chair is Like a Workout
Another way to think about it, is that using a massage chair for the first time can be a bit like trying a workout for the first time. If you haven’t tried a particular activity or haven’t done one that you know for a long time, you’ll want to take it slow. We all know that it’s not smart to start from never running to running five miles, from never lifting weights to lifting 100+ pounds.
If you go too quickly, whether you’re returning to an exercise or starting fresh, you will at the least end up being incredibly sore and at the worst you could injure yourself.
Your first time in your new massage chair is much like working out for the first time like this. As you build up your stamina and your body gets used to the pressure and precision of the chair, you can endure longer sessions.
How Do You Know You Are Overusing Your Massage Chair?
So, as we’ve stated sitting in a massage chair for longer doesn’t hold a superior benefit. Your muscles won’t get more relaxed if you sit in the chair for an hour. The maximum amount of benefits that can be achieved by using a massage chair are present in short time intervals, rather than extended hours. If you’ve been using your chair for hours and hours, that’s definitely too much.
Like all other aspects of life, there can certainly be too much of a good thing. Massage is designed to be used in dosages just like a medication or treatment regimen. From chronic back pain to acute muscle pain to relaxation, massage chairs help you alleviate discomfort, stress, and even provide comfort and tranquility in a busy, hectic world. But overdoing it can hurt your muscle as well as the chair in the long run.
With proper use within the prescribed guidelines, you can reap the incredible health benefits offered by the latest in innovative massage chairs. Excessive use is known to lead to muscle damage, inflammation, and bruised tissues in addition to causing harm to the internal massage chair motor.
So, take it slow and easy with your massage chair, especially when you’re using it for the first time. The cost of overuse does not outweigh any perceived benefit.
Finished With Your Research?
So just remember, take the time to enjoy your massage chair, but don’t overdo it. You can look into the chairs, techniques, and other benefits of massage in the Learning Center on our website, and you’ll be able to see the physical benefits each of the styles offer and what to be prepared for from them.
If you have any questions or are interested in purchasing your first massage chair, check out our Massage Chair Buying Guide or give us a call. You can even reach out through email at info@massagechairplanet.com.
With all this in mind, don’t forget about our financing options. We understand that investing in a massage chair is a big decision, and we want to help make that process as simple and stress-free as possible. Our sales representatives are ready and excited to get you into the perfect chair!