The holidays are here and this time of year is all about giving, making other people’s holiday wishes come true, and selflessness. But what about you? What have you done for yourself lately? Certainly it wouldn’t hurt to treat yourself while you are out taking care of everyone else. These are the top 5 reasons to get yourself a massage this holiday season.

1. Stress: This is the most stressful time of year for the average person. Your shopping list is two miles long, your in-laws are in town, and you’re out of time! Take 60 min. and let someone else release your stress-fighting hormones while you forget about your to-do list.

1. It’s cold: When the temperature drops, muscles get tight. It happens every year. The warm loose muscles of the summer months are long gone and achy backs/hips/knees have arrived. Let a massage therapist warm up those muscles and joints and help relieve your pain.

1. You’re doing too much: You haven’t stopped moving, you’re carrying heavy bags, putting up lights, carrying boxes out of the crawl space, cleaning your house, etc. Your body isn’t used to standing while baking cookies for 10 hours, or spending a day on a ladder putting up your lights. You’re bound to get some kinks along the way. Massage therapy can help you recover faster.

1. Shoveling snow: Even the most fit of you out there are likely to get sore from shoveling (even if it hasn’t hit yet- it will). Practice the best body mechanics you can, and let a massage therapist take care of the rest.

1. It’s not a luxury anymore: If I have said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times- Massage is no longer considered a luxury, but rather an effective treatment for many medical conditions. Help prevent further injury and dysfunction by having a professional clinical massage therapist work on you today.

Hopefully this helps you realize that you need to take care of yourself too this holiday season. Besides, if you don’t stay healthy, who is going to make sure you have the perfect Griswold family holiday season?!

by Athletico