Hands-on: The Massage Table

What do dinosaurs and massage therapy have in common? The San Diego Natural History Museum! Each week in August, the museum will feature practitioners from a different bodywork or fitness regimen: Pilates, Yoga, Massage Therapy, and Physical Therapy. Health and Wellness Month is a tie-in to the BODY WORLDS exhibit by Plastination inventor Gunther von Hagens. Take a close look at real human muscles, and then take care of your own.

In Other News

Good for Both Body and Wallet: Canadian researchers proved that massage therapy has long-term benefits for low back pain sufferers. Improvements in feeling and function persisted a full year after treatment, making massage wonderfully cost-effective--as well as just plain effective.

Train Harder and Run Faster: Even hard-core athletes who live by a "no pain, no gain" rule can benefit from a regular rub-down. Marathon runners in particular use sports massage to increase circulation, flexibility, and endorphin levels.