Massage for Seniors – Keep Doing the Things You Love
Living in Florida has a funny way of changing what retirement means.
For many people in Hudson and throughout Pasco County, retirement isn’t about sitting in a rocking chair. It’s finally having the time to take the boat out on a Tuesday morning, spend an afternoon fishing, play another round of golf, work in the garden, travel, walk the beach or enjoy time with family and grandchildren.
The desire to stay active doesn’t disappear as we get older.
Unfortunately, sometimes our bodies don’t cooperate quite as enthusiastically as they once did.
Muscles may become tighter. Joints may feel stiffer. Arthritis can make certain movements uncomfortable. An afternoon on the golf course or a day on the boat may leave you feeling considerably more sore the next morning than it did 20 years ago.
And sometimes we simply overdo it.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to stop doing the things you love. It may mean it’s time to start taking better care of the body that allows you to do them.
Staying Active Is Part of Staying Independent
Mobility is important at every age, but it can become especially valuable as we grow older.
Being able to comfortably walk, bend, reach and move helps us continue doing things for ourselves and participating in the activities that make life enjoyable.
Massage can become one part of maintaining that active lifestyle.
Gentle or therapeutic massage can help relax tight, overworked muscles and may help improve flexibility and ease some of the everyday muscular tension that can make movement uncomfortable.
That can be particularly appealing for active seniors.
Think about a day of fishing. You’re standing, sitting, twisting, reaching and pulling. Golf involves walking, bending and repeatedly rotating the shoulders, hips and back. Even getting on and off a boat can require balance, flexibility and muscles you may not realize you’re using until the following morning.
Enjoying retirement can be surprisingly physical.
Massage Doesn’t Have to Be Aggressive to Be Effective
One concern some older adults have is that massage will be too forceful or uncomfortable.
It doesn’t have to be.
At Selah Massage & Healing Center, Sheila Shynski, LMT, believes massage should be adapted to the individual rather than expecting the individual to adapt to the massage.
As Sheila explains:
“Every session at Selah begins by listening to what you are experiencing, how your body is feeling, and what you need that day.”
Sheila can combine relaxation and therapeutic techniques depending upon the client’s needs and comfort level. She also specifically provides care for older adults and individuals with physical limitations or disabilities.
That individualized approach is particularly important for seniors because two people of the same age can have completely different needs.
One 70-year-old may play golf three times a week. Another may be managing arthritis or limited mobility. Someone else may simply want help relaxing muscles that feel increasingly tight.
There shouldn’t be one massage routine for all three.
What About Arthritis or Medical Conditions?
Massage does not cure arthritis or replace medical treatment. But for some people, massage can be a comfortable way to address muscle tension and soreness that may accompany an active life.
If you have a medical condition, recent surgery, significant injury or take medications that could affect whether massage is appropriate, talk with your physician and let Sheila know before your session.
The goal isn’t to push your body beyond its limits.
It’s to help you take care of it.
Don’t Retire From the Things You Love
Perhaps that’s the best way to think about massage as you get older.
You’re not trying to turn back the clock.
You’re taking care of the body you have today so you can continue using it tomorrow.
Sheila describes her goal this way:
“I want to help you understand and care for your body so you can move better, function better, experience less pain and stress, and continue doing the things and loving the people that make your life meaningful.”
For someone in Hudson or Pasco County, those meaningful things might include another morning fishing, another round of golf, another afternoon on the Gulf, another trip with friends or simply being able to keep up with the grandchildren.
At Selah Massage & Healing Center in Hudson, Florida, massage isn’t about reminding you that you’re getting older.
It’s about helping you keep enjoying the life you’ve worked so hard to have.