Now That Things Are Starting To Open Up, Is It Safe To Get A Massage?

Welcome back to yet another post! Hope you guys have been doing well, and individually doing your part to keep the COVID numbers down. The situation at the time of writing this post doesn’t look promising for most nations of the world.

The numbers seem to be trending toward reaching 20 million cases worldwide!

Not that it needs to be said, but this is not a small number. We should all take this seriously and ensure we are not carriers or transmitters of this virus. If we fix this one thing, we will save many lives!

Inevitably national economies are starting to reopen because we can no longer sustain the financial damage caused by the pandemic. Both small and large businesses have begun reopening, and there’s a sense of normalcy.

But will things ever be “normal” as we know them?

Well everyone and their dog has their opinion about this. The truth is no one really knows what things will look like in the near future, and for now it’s all speculation. If you wanna know my opinion, I don’t think we will return to the way things were pre-COVID for a long time.

Which raises an important question: how should we live our lives!?

Should we continue to self isolate and deprive ourselves of the things we love doing? Or should we continue living as we were pre-COVID? Neither! There’s a way to enjoy life by doing the things we love in a safe, controlled manner. More on this later in the post!

Should You Get A Massage During The Coronavirus Pandemic?

Massage is a therapy that’s largely physical (for the most part) in nature. It may be obvious but I think we should all remind ourselves of this while we decide on whether it’s safe to get a massage.

Depending on the type of massage, the strokes used, as well as the positions of both the therapist and patient, physical contact will vary accordingly.

For example, in Thai massage there’s a lot more physical contact. You might have noticed this that the therapist uses his/her own body to perform certain techniques on a patient. In that sense, Thai massage is a very intimate process, certainly not from a sexual standpoint, but purely from a physical standpoint.

Why is this all important?

Because this is the nature of massage, and knowing this all beforehand is important, especially during a pandemic. So what should you do? Should you book yourself for a massage during this pandemic or is it best to wait it out for a few more months?

My opinion for what it’s worth is to wait it out if you can. Massage is important and can definitely impact both the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of one’s life, but health and safety must always come first!

If You Can’t Book A Massage, Are There Any Alternatives?

Glad you asked! Alternatives to traditional massage therapy have always been around, even pre-COVID times. I’m not gonna regurgitate all of this as I have already written an entire post dedicated to massage at home.

There’s a number of things you could do such as learning to self massage, using a roller, or even an automated massage device such as a handheld massager, percussion massage gun, or a massage chair.

Yes these alternatives will cost $$$. For example, purchasing a massage chair is gonna run you a couple thousand, maybe more depending on what you’re shooting for. However, the investment pays itself off.

A 60 minute session by a trained massage therapist can run you about $100 or more. Do the math and you’ll see that a massage chair will pay itself off over time!

Does that mean that these alternatives are equal to or better than traditional therapy? Whoever tells you that a machine can do a better job than trained human hands is downright lying to you. You might get consistency, convenience and simplicity with these automated devices, but the “human touch” aspect is lost.

These are not better alternatives, but they are still good alternatives that alleviate pain, promote relaxation and overall well being. With the pandemic not letting up and likely to be around for the next little while, it does make sense to explore alternative options to traditional massage therapy.

If You Choose To Massage Anyways…..

If you decide to anyways book yourself a massage, you should take all the necessary precautions for your own safety. What kind of precautions or steps can you take? Here’s a few things to consider!

Last but not least, remember to wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap. After the massage is done, it’s always a good idea to have a warm shower. This not only helps gets rid of massage oils and dirt on the skin, but it’s also incredibly soothing and relaxing especially after an intense massage session.

Your Safety Is In Your Hands!

As I conclude this post, I wanted to share with you something I have been living by my entire life. I wouldn’t call it a mantra or a philosophy, maybe a mindset more than anything.

Your health and safety is 100% your responsibility!

If you bring this into your awareness, doing the right things will become habitual. Wearing PPE, washing your hands will become habitual. It’s important that we understand this. With that I hope you enjoyed reading this post and got some value out of it. If you did, please consider sharing on the social platforms. Be safe, and most importantly be well!