Have you ever wondered what Body Brushing is all about ?
It may sound like a form of punishment but actually body brushing is fantastic for our bodies. It has been used for hundreds of years and is thought to stimulate our circulation and as the skin is the largest organ in our bodies regular body brushing helps to remove toxins from our systems too. In essence it is just dry brushing your skin with a bristle brush. It is best done first thing in the morning before you jump in the shower. If you do it in the evening you may find you over stimulate yourself to the point that you find it hard to sleep – when I read this it got me thinking, well if it will keep me awake at night then maybe it will help to kick-start me into waking up in the mornings too as, as I mentioned in previous posts, I am not a morning person. As seen on TV recently there is evidence out there showing that it has reduced the appearance of cellulite by as much as 26% ladies, and it has proved to be way more effective in combating the dreaded orange peel than creams and exercise put together ! Do I have your attention now….. ?
Some of the health benefits sighted are:-
1 Naturally energising. Maybe it is due to the increase in circulation but when you body brush it does increase your energy, particularly when done in the morning, hence why I said try and avoid doing this at night unless you work a midnight to 8am shift !!
2 Improves lymphatic flow which boosts your immune system. As much of your lymphatic system runs through your skin, body brushing stimulates the flow thus detoxifying the body naturally.
3 Helps with cellulite. Regularly body brushing brings nutrients and oxygen to the upper layers of the skin slowing down the bodies fat deposits and so reducing the appearance of dimpled skin.
4 Exfoliates the skin, clears your pores and encourages new cells to grow. Through body brushing you are removing dead skin, leaving your skin feeling smoother. Whilst you are exfoliating you are also clearing oil and dirt from your pores. Its a cheap and effective exfoliator.
Technique –
Brush for about 3 minutes before you get in the shower each morning. Always brush upwards towards the heart, starting with your feet and hands and working up your body finishing on your chest. If you are not sure which direction always head for the centre of the body.
You should aim for about 10 strokes for each section but I am always in a rush and do 5 and it works for me.
As a general guide begin with feet, then travel up your legs, palms of hands, arms, stomach, armpits and as much of your back as you can reach.
It goes without saying that you should never body brush damaged or irritated skin. Your skin may look slightly pink when you begin but should never be stinging or bright red. Basically if it hurts you in any way ease off the pressure, do less strokes or use a much softer brush until your skin adjusts.
I have been body brushing now for several weeks and I have to admit that I have definitely started to see results. I feel more alert in the mornings, my skin is in better condition and the cellulite is actually looking better too. As it won’t be long before we start thinking about the summer and getting back into our swimmers, its worth getting ahead of the curve on this one ladies and giving it a go. You be the judge !
P.S. A note about brushes:-
I use this brush with medium firmness bristles. There is a bit of trial and error finding a brush you like. I went for a firm bristle brush to begin with and hated it as I felt like I was giving myself a right pummeling every morning. I also gave this one a try too. Now I have gone down a notch or three on the firmness scale I am much happier to keep going with it. There is something to be said for getting used to it and so you might find you need to start with a softer brush with less pressure and then build up.
The Wellness Reset 