I decided to avoid being vague and abstract for fear of offending anyone's delicate sensibilities and I've opted for: Straight to the point or downright blunt.

Looking and feeling great doesn't happen by accident. Nobody's going to wave a magic wand, after which you'll have beautiful baby soft, taut, youthful alabaster skin, which has the look and feel of a pampered movie star. No, the only way to look and feel great is to massage and exercise, it's that simple.

The reason we don't all look and feel great is because massage and exercise take effort. We all want something for nothing, but unless you have deep enough pockets to go for the slice and splice option of surgery, it's just not going to happen… without some effort.

The good news is that the results of your massage and exercise efforts, are in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in, and that doesn't have to be a great deal. Twenty minutes a day is all it takes to see a noticeable difference, but without a doubt the hardest thing is to actually get started. Once you overcome your initial state of inertia and actually get your blood pumping, you'll begin to feel and see results almost immediately.

Feeling good about yourself needn't involve rose tinted spectacles, a magic wand or a plastic surgeon. It just takes effort.

Many people have tried to quantify success, but the definition I read some time ago has become ingrained in my own philosophy. It stated that: “the difference between people who are successful and those that are not amounts to just 40 Centimetres. That is the difference between getting off of your backside and taking action, and not”

The time to put the brakes firmly on the ageing process is NOW. Decide that you will move your backside the necessary 40 centimetres and push yourself into action. Start with giant strides or baby steps, but just start. The benefits of massage and massage therapy go way beyond the physical and there are no known drawbacks.

If it's your opinion that massage therapy is a pampering luxurious treat, a therapeutic relaxing treatment or a rejuvenating, revitalising pleasure, then you're absolutely right. Massage therapy is all of those things as well as being a powerful ally in your health and wellbeing armoury.

For well over five thousand years, massage and massage therapy has been used to alleviate stress and aid wellbeing. Anything that can last that long as a chosen activity must have some merit. Go ahead, build your immune system, build your muscles, strengthen your resolve and build your self esteem and do it in the knowledge that your back in control.

To your continued, outstanding health.

Copyright (c) 2007 Sam Benton