If you’re someone who’s hard at work in the gym, training for a marathon, or training to build muscle and enhance your fat burning, you’re going to have to pay special attention to the recovery you’re achieving. Every time you go into the gym and perform an intense weight training workout, or if you are new to exercise, you’re placing a high degree of stress on your body. Over time, this can build up and eventually you may find that your body just can’t recover any further. Performance may then decline and this is when over training sets in.

Fortunately, reflexology can help you recover from exercise. Reflexology is one of the hottest growing trends right now for those who want to take a very comprehensive approach to wellness and look after their health and fitness.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a science that deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the organs, glands and parts of the body. Stimulating these reflexes properly may help many health problems in a natural way, a type of preventative maintenance.

The idea behind reflexology is not new. In fact, it was practiced as early as 2330 B.C. by the Egyptians. Reflexology as we know it today was first researched and developed by Eunice Ingham, the pioneer of this field. The Ingham Method of reflexology is used primarily for relaxing tension – in the mind and body. Exercise can control the mind and it is important to maintain calm and recover the mind as well as the physical body.

How can Reflexology help?

Physically and mentally, reflexology helps to relaxes stress and tension. It can therefore help relax the muscles and ligaments after exercise, it can speed up recovery time and reduce muscle fatigue. Reflexology can also improve nerve and blood supply, so improving the flow of blood and its oxygen-rich nutrients to all organs, glands, muscles and parts of the body. Reflexology also promotes self-healing so it can help with sport injuries, for example, or even with relieving the mental pressure some people experience, such as to get a good time in a 10K, win a match etc. Reflexology helps nature to normalize allowing your body to achieve homeostasis.

What can I expect from a Reflexology Treatment?

The application and effect of this therapy is different for everyone, so each individual will respond to the treatment differently. Some people find it incredibly relaxing throughout the entire session, others feel some reflexes slightly sensitive or indeed, uncomfortable or painful. If you have a sporting injury, for example in the knee, the knee reflex may be very painful when worked by the therapist. Likewise, if you have just run a marathon, or competed in a race or triathlon, and you are feeling a bit fatigued, you may find your adrenals, pituitary gland and thyroid are tender. By massaging and stimulating the relevant reflex points you are helping to de-congest or re-balance the reflex points and the corresponding parts of the body. This promotes self-healing and speeds your recovery.