What is Kenkoh ReKovery?
Kenkoh ReKovery utilizes the time-tested and scientifically-proven health benefits of Kenkoh Massage Sandals to improve the recovery process after exercise, increase circulation, eliminate pain, decrease swelling, improve heart health and to naturally, neutrally align the entire body.
The basis of Kenkoh ReKovery is massage.
Most people will tell you that a massage feels great after exercise. After all, massages can soothe sore muscles, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, and get you back to your chosen sport or activity even faster.
These positive effects of massage have often been accepted as fact and remained unquestioned, but are they correct in their assumptions?
A review of recent research studies on massage reveals some very important, and perhaps life-altering, findings.
Massage Improves Recovery Times: The McMaster Study
To begin, a 2012 study conducted by McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) showed that massage can in fact inhibit inflammation and can be beneficial to muscles that have been damaged through exercise.
The McMaster study drew attention from the New York Times and was summarized in a 2012 post on the Times blog. In it, we learn two important ways that massage can aid tired muscles after exercise:
- Massage limits the production of cytokines, compounds that are responsible for muscle inflammation. By reducing cytokine production, inflammation after bouts of vigorous exercise can be greatly reduced, thereby decreasing recovery times and allowing people to exercise longer and more often.
- Massage can also stimulate mitochondria, the “engines” of cells that convert glucose to energy and are also responsible for cell repair.
The combination of limited cytokine production and stimulated mitochondria, notes the study’s lead author, Dr. Mark A. Tarnopolsky, allows muscles to better adapt to increased levels of activity.
When the McMaster study is viewed alongside other recent work about massage, one can begin to fully understand the profound benefits of simple daily massages on our overall health.
Massage Improves Circulation: The UIC Study
For example, it has long been accepted that massage stimulates circulation, and a 2014 study conducted at the University of Illinois Chicago demonstrated just that. The study found that massage therapy, when administered after a round of exercise, can counteract the reduction of blood flow that often occurs as a result of exercise-induced muscle injury. The study group that received massage saw higher levels of blood flow for up to 72 hours after exercise. This improved blood flow can lead to better oxygenation of muscle tissues throughout the body, faster recovery times, and improved healing after injury or surgery.
Importantly, the UI Chicago study found that massage also increased circulation in individuals who had not previously exercised, demonstrating that massage can have benefits to all regardless of levels of activity.
Massage’s Wide-Ranging Benefits: Dr. Tiffany Field
At this point, if you’re still skeptical about the health benefits of massage, consider the work of Dr. Tiffany Field, founder of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami. Over the last three decades, Dr. Field’s comprehensive efforts have shown everything from how massage benefits athletes to how light touch therapy can stimulate brain activity and growth in premature infants. Dr. Field’s work has been recognized and incorporated by countless physicians, psychologists, and researchers over the past 30 years and has garnered her multiple Senior Research Scientist Awards from the National Institute for Mental Health.
Daily Foot Massages Improve Heart Health: Korean Nursing Study
Finally, to take things a step further, a 2000 study from the Journal of the Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing demonstrated that a daily foot massage can improve your heart health by improving systolic blood pressure and reducing overall stress levels. In that study, two groups of nursing students were evaluated for the effects of a daily foot massage on mood, fatigue, blood pressure, and pulse rate. The study group that received the massage saw significantly lower systolic blood pressures as well as significantly improved mood scores and decreased levels of fatigue. The Korean study is also a prime example of the importance of massage in cultures throughout the world and the transition in Eastern cultures to massage as a fully research-based mainstream modality.
Forty years ago, massage wasn’t necessarily on the radar as a hot topic for clinical research, however the work of Dr. Field and the other institutions noted here has shown massage to not only be a worthwhile topic for research but also an extremely beneficial daily practice for anyone. The simple conclusion of all this work? You can feel better, and perhaps even live longer, through daily massage.
Please visit our Kenkoh informational site or stop into one of our stores located throughout western Florida to learn more about how you can improve your health through Kenkoh ReKovery and Kenkoh Massage Sandals.
