Popular massage and facial franchise Massage Envy conducted a national survey of 2,000 American consumers that examined the evolution of their relationships with their bodies since COVID-19 started. The survey, conducted by OnePoll, revealed some interesting findings.
For starters, roughly 51% of respondents reported that the pandemic negatively affected how they feel about their bodies. The survey also showed that massage was the second most necessary method to regain pre-pandemic self-confidence, with taking a vacation coming in at the No. 1 spot.
Additional highlights include:
- 58% of respondents said their daily routine since the start of the pandemic is inflicting major wear and tear on their bodies.
- 50% admitted to feeling physically drained on a daily basis from the general stress of the pandemic alone, while 46% blamed the general "sameness" of the passing days for feeling drained.
- 49% say they don't have the same level of confidence as they did prior to COVID-19.
- 47% say their body has been aching in brand new and different ways since March 2020.
- 45% experienced chronic pain prior to COVID, and of those, 66% have experienced an increase in their chronic pain during the pandemic.
- 42% confessed to not feeling "at home" in their bodies anymore.
- 40% say that they've passed a mirror and not recognized their reflection at least once since the pandemic began.
- Of those who had never experienced chronic pain before (55%), one in four (30%) said the stress from the pandemic has caused them chronic pain for the first time in their lives.
Significantly, many of those surveyed said they were hopeful that they would make improvements when it came to their self-confidence and physical well-being, such as:
- 67% want to improve their energy levels.
- 46% want to improve their flexibility.
- 44% want to improve the back pain they're experiencing, while 43% plan to improve posture.
- 40% feel they're going to need professional help to get their body feeling like its pre-pandemic self.
- 37% said they'll need a massage to regain their pre-pandemic confidence.
"This pandemic has taken a mental and physical toll on so many of us," said Beth Stiller, CEO of Massage Envy. "With so many people spending most of their time at home juggling home schooling with working from home at their kitchen table or living room floor, it's important that we're taking care of our bodies. Incorporating self-care rituals like therapeutic massage or regular skin care into our routines is key to boosting self-confidence and keeping your body working. You've only got one body, right? So, you need to take the best care of it that you can and committing to taking care of your body on a regular basis is so important."
