Because there are so many scams out there surrounding the topic of weight loss, it’s natural that dieters wonder which claims are legitimate and which are not. Do massage and body wrap help with weight loss, they wonder. The answer isn’t quite as simple as yes or no.
If the question was whether they burn fat, then the answer is no. Neither massages nor body wraps help people (directly) to lose fat. But there is a possibility that massage, at least, could be a useful tool in the process of losing fat. And wraps can be used to temporarily slim down for that fancy party that you just have to look great for.
Advertisements abound claiming that massages are the latest and greatest way to release toxins or break up fat cells. These claims are false. But massages can reduce stress and tension stored in the muscles, leading to more mental and physical energy. These are beneficial to all parts of a diet and exercise program, and thus, massage can be said to be somewhat useful in efforts to slim down. Just don’t expect to see results right after you step off the table.
Body wraps also make claims that they reduce fat cells or replace toxins with nutrients. The only thing a body wrap reduces is the amount of water you are carrying. Sufficiently tight constriction of a body area can also cause redistribution of the fat cells, so if a wrap is very tight, you might change your shape slightly. But you won’t lose any appreciable amount of fat.
Wraps and massages should not be considered comparable from a health standpoint. Massages will not cause you harm beyond making your wallet a little lighter, and might be of some benefit. While it is undoubtedly unhealthy to expect massages to solve all of your weight problems, getting a few with realistic expectations shouldn’t have any negative effects.
Wraps, unfortunately, can be dangerous. If you lose too much water during a wrap, you could experience the side effects of dehydration, something that you don’t want to happen. And there is an additional danger since the pounds lost after wraps are so temporary– people might subject themselves to long-term dehydration caused by repeated wraps, in order to maintain the results.
There’s no denying that wraps can be effective in short-term weight loss, however. Even knowing that this is just water, some people feel that it is sufficiently beneficial to justify having a wrap before an important meeting or get-together. If you are one of them, consider eating better and going to the gym for a week before, instead.
There is nothing as effective as eating better and exercising more. But if you want to test out an alternative method, go for a massage. You won’t put yourself in danger, and you might even find some mental benefits to the experience. Just don’t expect to find the scale registering any less, afterward.
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