Massage helps reduce muscle tension and stiffness in numerous ways, including increasing blood flow to your muscles. Some research shows that regular massage may also boost immunity by stimulating the production of white blood cells. Massage helps you relax and improve your mental energy. It may also make you more productive at work.

    One University of Miami study found that a brief self-massage at work reduced stress and boosted job performance. After a 15-minute massage, workers were more alert and could complete math problems faster and with more accuracy.

    Fortunately, you have your very own massage therapist with you at all times -- your hands! "Most people practice the art of self-massage without thinking about it, whether they are rubbing their forehead because of a headache, scrubbing themselves with a loofah sponge in the shower, or rubbing their feet after a long day," says Anna Walsemann, a yoga and Oriental healing instructor at New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York. "These are all simple and natural self-massage techniques."

    You don't have to take a class to give yourself a proper rubdown. In this article, you'll get the advice you need to reduce tension from head to foot -- within seconds.

    1. Every morning and evening, hammer out the kinks. Using your fists, gently thump the outside of your body, starting with your legs and arms, working from top to bottom. Then move inward to your torso and thump from bottom to top. "Pummeling your muscles and bones will help strengthen the body, stimulate blood circulation, and relax nerve endings," says Walsemann. When done in the morning, this self-massage technique will waken and prepare your body -- and mind -- for the day ahead. When done before bed, it calms down the mind and beats out the stress and tension of the day. One warning: If you're taking any kind of blood thinner, such as Coumadin (warfarin), avoid this one; you could wind up with bruising.

    2. Rub your belly after every meal. Most of us do this instinctively, especially after overeating. Place one or both palms on your abdomen and rub it in clockwise circles. This is the same direction food naturally moves through your intestine, so your circular massage will help to stimulate digestion.

    3. Rub yourself down before and after exercise. Massaging your body before your stretching, cardio, or strength training increases blood flow to the muscles. Massaging your muscles after exercise may help encourage waste removal and speed muscle recovery. Before exercise, use a pummeling motion with your fists to bring blood flow to your leg and arm muscles. After exercise, rub along your muscles with your palm or fist, moving in the direction of your heart.

    4. Give your hands a massage every day -- whenever you put on lotion. Start with the bottoms of your palms by clasping your fingers and rubbing the heels of your palms together in a circular motion. Then, with your hands still clasped, take one thumb and massage the area just below your other thumb in circular motions, moving outward to the center of the palm. Repeat with the other hand. Then release your fingers and use your thumbs and index fingers to knead your palms, wrists, and the webbing between your fingers. With one hand, gently pull each finger of the other hand. Finish by using your thumb and index finger to pinch the webbing between your other thumb and index finger.

    5. Roll on a tennis ball whenever you feel tight. If your foot feels tense, stand with one hand on a wall for support and place the arch of one foot on top of the ball. Gradually add more body weight over the foot, allowing the ball to press into your arch. Begin to slowly move your foot, allowing the ball to massage your heel, forefoot, and toes. Note: If the tennis ball seems too big for your foot, try a golf ball instead.

    6. Fill the bottom of a shoe box with golf balls and stick it under your desk at work. Whenever you need to take a trip to podiatric paradise, take off a shoe and rub your foot over the golf balls.

    7. Whenever you take off a pair of high heels, sit on the floor and give your calves some attention. Elevating your heels all day long can eventually shorten your calf muscles. To release them, sit with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Grasp one ankle, placing your thumb just above your Achilles tendon. Press your thumb into the bottom of your calf muscle, hold for 5 seconds, and release. Move an inch up your calf and repeat the pressure. Continue pressing and releasing until you get to your knee, then switch legs. 

    按an摩mo在zai許xu多duo方fang麵mian有you助zhu於yu減jian輕qing肌ji肉rou的de緊jin張zhang，增zeng加jia彈dan性xing，包bao括kuo增zeng加jia肌ji肉rou裏li的de血xue液ye流liu量liang。很hen多duo研yan究jiu表biao明ming，經jing常chang性xing的de按an摩mo可ke以yi促cu使shi白bai細xi胞bao的de產chan生sheng
，增zeng強qiang免mian疫yi力li。按an摩mo幫bang助zhu你ni放fang鬆song，改gai善shan身shen體ti能neng量liang。也ye會hui讓rang你ni工gong作zuo更geng有you效xiao。

    一份邁阿密大學的研究表明，一次在工作中簡單的自我按摩減輕了緊張，改善了工作狀態。15分鍾的按摩，工人們經曆更集中了，可以更高的準確率完成數學問題。

    幸運的是

，你在任何時候都有你自己的按摩師---你的雙手！“很多人無需思考，就有自己按摩的技巧，不管在頭痛是搓前額，洗澡時有絲瓜絡搓洗
，或者在很長的一天之後揉搓自己的腳。”安娜·沃斯門恩說，她是紐約內弗辛克溪新時代健康spa的瑜伽和東方治療指導，“這些都是簡單並且自然的自我按摩方法。”

    你無需花一節課的時間去讓自己來一個合適的按摩。在這篇文章裏，你會學會從頭到腳放鬆的方法-----隻需要數秒！

    1.每日早晚
，敲頸部。有你的拳頭
，輕輕的重擊的身體，從腿個胳膊開始，從上到下（從手指到肩部，從腳到腰部）。然後回到你的軀幹，從臀部錘到頭部。“有(you)拳(quan)頭(tou)連(lian)續(xu)擊(ji)打(da)你(ni)的(de)筋(jin)骨(gu)有(you)助(zhu)於(yu)強(qiang)健(jian)你(ni)的(de)體(ti)魄(po)
，刺(ci)激(ji)血(xue)液(ye)循(xun)環(huan)
，放(fang)鬆(song)神(shen)經(jing)末(mo)梢(shao)。沃(wo)斯(si)門(men)恩(en)說(shuo)。早(zao)上(shang)做(zuo)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)
，這(zhe)種(zhong)自(zi)我(wo)按(an)摩(mo)會(hui)喚(huan)醒(xing)你(ni)的(de)身(shen)體(ti)

，頭(tou)部(bu)，在(zai)一(yi)天(tian)來(lai)到(dao)之(zhi)前(qian)。”睡覺前做的時候，它讓你的腦袋清靜，緩解你一天的勞碌緊張。（不過）得注意：如果你服用了血液稀釋類藥物，比如可買寧（華法林），就不要這樣做，可能會使有擦傷。

    2.chiwanfanhourouduzi。womenhenduorenhuibennengdezheyangzuo
，youqishichidetaiduodeshihou。yongyigehuozhelianggeshouzhangfangzaifubushunshizhenroudong。zheshishiwuzaichangdaoxiaohuadefangxiang
，suoyizheyangxunhuandeanmohuicujinxiaohua。

    3.yundongqianhouzuoanmo。zaishenzhang
，youyangyundong
，huozhezengjiaxunlianqiananmonideshenti，huizengjiaxueyezaizaijiroudeliuliang。yundongzhihouanmo
，huibangzhuxinchendaixie，huifujirounengliang。zaiyundongqian
，yongquantoupaidashentihuishixueyeliuxiangnidetuihegebodejirou。yundonghou，yongshouzhanghuozhequantouxiangxinzangfangxiangrounidejirou
，

    4.每天給手做按摩—當dang你ni使shi用yong洗xi滌di劑ji的de時shi。攥zuan緊jin手shou指zhi，從cong手shou腕wan開kai始shi來lai回hui的de按an摩mo你ni的de手shou掌zhang，從cong外wai到dao內nei。重zhong複fu做zuo另ling一yi隻zhi手shou。然ran後hou放fang開kai手shou指zhi，用yong你ni的de拇mu指zhi和he食shi指zhi揉rou你ni的de手shou掌zhang，手shou腕wan，以yi及ji手shou指zhi之zhi間jian的de連lian接jie部bu位wei。用yong一yi隻zhi手shou輕qing拉la另ling一yi隻zhi手shou的de手shou指zhi。最zui後hou用yong你ni的de食shi指zhi和he拇mu指zhi去qu掐qia虎hu口kou部bu位wei。

    5.緊(jin)張(zhang)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)用(yong)手(shou)轉(zhuan)網(wang)球(qiu)。如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)感(gan)覺(jiao)到(dao)腳(jiao)累(lei)，就(jiu)用(yong)一(yi)隻(zhi)手(shou)扶(fu)著(zhe)牆(qiang)做(zuo)支(zhi)撐(cheng)，把(ba)一(yi)隻(zhi)腳(jiao)的(de)足(zu)弓(gong)放(fang)在(zai)球(qiu)上(shang)。慢(man)慢(man)的(de)增(zeng)加(jia)踩(cai)球(qiu)的(de)力(li)度(du)，把(ba)球(qiu)移(yi)動(dong)到(dao)你(ni)的(de)足(zu)弓(gong)。開(kai)始(shi)慢(man)慢(man)的(de)移(yi)動(dong)你(ni)的(de)腳(jiao)
，讓(rang)球(qiu)按(an)摩(mo)你(ni)的(de)後(hou)跟(gen)，前(qian)腳(jiao)掌(zhang)，腳(jiao)指(zhi)頭(tou)。如(ru)果(guo)網(wang)球(qiu)對(dui)與(yu)你(ni)的(de)腳(jiao)來(lai)說(shuo)太(tai)大(da)，那(na)就(jiu)換(huan)個(ge)高(gao)爾(er)夫(fu)球(qiu)。

    6.上班的時候腳底下放一個高爾夫球踩著。不管什麼時候做足療，把鞋子脫掉，腳放到高爾夫球上踩著。

    7.不(bu)管(guan)什(shen)麼(me)時(shi)候(hou)脫(tuo)下(xia)你(ni)的(de)高(gao)跟(gen)鞋(xie)，坐(zuo)到(dao)地(di)板(ban)上(shang)，瞧(qiao)瞧(qiao)的(de)小(xiao)腿(tui)。把(ba)小(xiao)腿(tui)抬(tai)起(qi)，最(zui)後(hou)可(ke)以(yi)減(jian)少(shao)你(ni)小(xiao)腿(tui)的(de)肌(ji)肉(rou)。放(fang)下(xia)腿(tui)，屈(qu)腿(tui)跪(gui)在(zai)地(di)上(shang)，腳(jiao)挨(ai)著(zhe)地(di)
，握(wo)住(zhu)一(yi)隻(zhi)腳(jiao)踝(huai)，一(yi)隻(zhi)大(da)拇(mu)指(zhi)按(an)住(zhu)跟(gen)腱(jian)。拇(mu)指(zhi)按(an)住(zhu)，移(yi)向(xiang)你(ni)的(de)小(xiao)腿(tui)肌(ji)肉(rou)，停(ting)留(liu)5秒鍾
，放開。在小腿上向上移一寸，然後重複動作。繼續按著直至做到膝蓋
，放開，然後舒展雙腿。