Rocking chairs are making a big comeback, as recent studies suggest that more people should use them for their physical and mental health benefits.

They were once much more popular furniture than today, and no one knows why they have fallen into disuse in modern homes. However, they

More often than not, we see in nurseries that a gentle rocking motion helps put the baby to sleep.

 

Let’s look at some of the reasons why lullabies are good for you. But don’t be surprised if you want one after this, because we certainly did after researching and writing this article!

1. Relaxing

Starting with an essential benefit: relaxation. Swinging can help improve your mood and reduce stress and pain by stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system. If you think of a child or adult in great distress, they naturally react to swinging. This is because the rhythmic movement releases endorphins in your brain that can be relaxing, soothing, and energizing simultaneously.

 

2. Ideal for babies

They are perfect for soothing babies. Anything that can help calm your baby and put him/her to sleep is fantastic. Lullabies mimic the feeling of being in the womb and have been shown to reduce crying episodes in colicky babies while helping them sleep more frequently.

3. Helps with weight loss

We all know that we could benefit from a little more mobility, but who says that sitting must be bad for you? Swinging in a rocking chair can burn up to 150 calories per hour, so swapping your usual deck chair for a rocking chair might even help you lose weight.

Although no one claims that this is the best form of exercise, it’s certainly better than sitting on your buttocks and doing nothing!

4. Improves muscle tone

Like burning calories, the swing will never replace gymnastics, but it is excellent for those who cannot do other forms of exercise or for those who like to stay more active, even while sitting down and relaxing.

The swing exercises the muscles of the thighs and abdomen, providing a very gentle exercise for the muscles and tendons of the legs, thighs, ankles, and abdomen, improving the strength and flexibility of the knees.

5. Better balance

By stimulating the balance mechanism in the inner ear, rocking chairs can help improve your balance. As your body swings back and forth, your inner ear works hard to keep you balanced. Better balance is beneficial for older people who are at higher risk of injury from falls.

6. Good for arthritis

By increasing blood flow through the body, balancing can help relieve the pain of arthritis. Better circulation will help more oxygen to get to the joints, which is good for arthritis.

The light rocking back and forth exercise will also increase lower body flexibility and help strengthen the ankles and knees.

Ten minutes of rocking a day can help improve your flexibility, strength, circulation, and even blood pressure. The longer you swing, the more benefits you will reap.

 

 

7. Improves the well-being of people with dementia

Experts say that balance improves the emotional and psychological well-being of people with dementia.

After using a rocking chair, you will notice that symptoms of anxiety and depression are reduced.

Because of the reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, balancing can also reduce the need for medication. Medication often comes with a long list of unwanted side effects, so that any reduction will lead to a better quality of life.

What science says about rocking chairs

Have you ever noticed that people have a natural tendency to swing in moments of great distress? Although you may associate people rocking back and forth with scenes from films depicting mental illness, to be fair, they probably didn’t have a rocking chair to sit on at that time. That’s why we’ll look at the claimed benefits of rocking.

 

Improves mood

When your body is set in a rhythmic motion, like a swing, your brain releases endorphins that help improve your mood. Without getting into chemistry, endorphins are the chemicals in your brain that trigger positive feelings in your body.

You may already know that endorphins are also released when you exercise, which is why exercise has been highly recommended for those suffering from anxiety and depression. However, not everyone can exercise as much as they want, or even not at all in some cases, such as busy lifestyles, age, pain, and recovery from surgery.

A rocking chair is a great way to release endorphins into your body from the comfort of a chair in your home. Your endorphins will help you (or anyone else) feel happier, calmer, and more peaceful, ready to deal with whatever the day brings or get a good night’s sleep.

 

Induces relaxation

In addition to improving your mood, reducing stress and anxiety will help you relax. Rocking chairs have proven so good for relaxation that airports in the United States have introduced them in their lounges to help tired travelers relax in their stressful and fast-paced environment.

The rhythmic rocking movement also stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion. When your parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, it sedates your body because it triggers the release of hormones that slow down your energy functions.

As a result, the swing will decrease your heart rate and blood pressure while increasing your intestinal and glandular activity.

Rocking chairs are ideal for relaxing after work or for an evening meal. Not only will they help you relax after the day, but they will also help your digestive system work!

Aids for pain relief

What could be more soothing than relieving any pain you feel in your body? Not only do the endorphins released by the swing help to improve your mood, but they are also very helpful in relieving pain.

Another way that rocking helps relieve pain is by improving your circulation and relieving arthritis symptoms. The gentle rocking motion helps to get the blood flowing through your body. This increases the oxygen supply to your joints, which reduces lower body joint pain caused by arthritis.

The gentle rocking motion will also help strengthen your knees and ankles and increase flexibility, making you less vulnerable to arthritis flare-ups. The gentle rocking motion of a rocking chair is also thought to help prevent pain signals from going to your brain.

The most famous anecdotal evidence is that former U.S. President John F Kennedy was prescribed a rocking chair by his doctor and used it to relieve his chronic lower back pain.

Relaxation in a rocking chair

Rocking has long been used to soothe babies’ sleep, and we finally know why it works. The reason that lullabies are soothing is mainly that the rocking movement improves your mood, promotes relaxation, and relieves pain.

By stimulating our parasympathetic system and releasing endorphins in our brain, lullabies allow us to lull ourselves and others into a state of pure relaxation and happiness. Rocking chairs can be beneficial for babies and the elderly, but they can also be helpful for everyone in between. It turns out that rocking chairs make a difference!

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

A rocking chair in your child’s room can be invaluable if you can afford one. While it is well known that rocking can help put a baby to sleep, fewer people think about the pros that lullabies can have for all age groups. They are great for helping you relax after the day, inducing a sense of relaxation, and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

So why do rocking chairs soothe us like this? To understand this, we’ve studied the science behind the rocking movement that makes rocking chairs so soothing for adults and children. But beware, after reading this, you might want to hurry up and buy one!