How Massage Therapy Impacts Your Workout Performance And Recovery : Anyone who has experienced a full-body massage knows how beneficial it is, especially for physically active people. After an intense workout, the next step in your routine should be visiting a reputable massage therapist.
Massage therapy isn’t just for destressing. It’s a fantastic addition to your regular workouts and aids overall health. Massage techniques for athletes include circular movements, tissue kneading, and pressure application. So, it could feel rougher compared to a regular massage from a spa.
If you plan to exercise more, consider scheduling a massage session after hitting the gym. Below are some ways massage therapy can benefit you before and after working out.
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Improves Flexibility And Joint Strength
Exercise often involves full use of your body’s main muscles. You’ll likely have difficulty performing various workout routines when you’re inflexible. As such, you’re limiting your physical activity options. But with frequent massage sessions, you could expect your body to gain a better and fuller range of motion.
Different kinds of physiotherapy modalities help improve your flexibility and joint strength. If you visit a massage clinic, you’ll have choices between a remedial massage vs myotherapy or another modality depending on your condition. Massages that target your tendons and joints are ideal since you’ll need them in their best shape to work out without excessive pain or strain.
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Prevents Injuries
Regular massage therapy sessions may protect you from hurting yourself during a workout. People are likely to receive injuries while exercising with stiff muscles and joints. Massage stretches your limbs gently and circulates blood flow to various body parts. So, when you work out, your body will extend fluidly without you feeling any pain.
Massage therapy could also treat light to medium muscle injuries. Muscle sores are popular reasons for people to visit a physiotherapy specialist. Your body could be healing incorrectly if you frequently experience soreness in certain joints during workouts. Without a proper cooldown or massage, muscle fibers could shorten after exercise. Hence, your body might feel stiff and tight during your next workout session.
A professional massage therapist may eliminate the painful knots in your limbs so you can return to the gym. But it also helps to perform warm-ups before participating in any physical activity. Warming up loosens your muscles and prepares them for continuous movement.
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Reduces Recovery Time
Some people have long recovery periods in between workout sessions. If you’re one of them, your muscles might be healing too slowly. Thankfully, massage therapy could help speed up the process alongside other recovery methods, like increasing your L-carnitine intake.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a phenomenon that happens to many athletes. It’s when you feel body pain at least one to two days after intense exercise. You could experience a reduced range of motion, or your muscles may be extra sensitive to touch when you have DOMS. Massage therapy may help relieve the stiffness and let your body heal faster than sleeping it out.
Massage therapy Studies show that massage therapy also impacts creatine kinase (CK) circulation. CK is an enzyme found in your muscles, and when your muscles are damaged, such as from intense physical activity or injury, they release CK into your bloodstream.
As a result, you may experience higher levels of CK after exercising. High levels of CK in the blood can lead to muscle stiffness, pain, and overall discomfort, as they are an indicator of muscle damage.
Therefore, it’s beneficial to facilitate recovery by reducing these high CK levels. Getting a massage after your workout aids in lowering your CK levels, which can reduce muscle pain and stiffness, facilitating faster muscle recovery.
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Encourages Better Sleep
Everyone needs enough restful sleep to strengthen the body and prevent or recover from illnesses. However, even after intense exercise, some people have trouble falling asleep. This issue may arise when muscles are swollen and aching, preventing you from relaxing.
Adding a massage session into your fitness routine is essential for ensuring your body relaxes after exercise. A physiotherapist’s firm kneading of your muscles relieves and releases tension. That’s why you often feel sleepy when you get a body massage.
A possible drawback to massage therapy for athletes is that you may become too sleepy. So, consider getting a massage only after exercising. You might not perform at your best if you receive one before visiting the gym or participating in a competition.
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Enhances Respiratory Health
A good massage doesn’t only benefit your muscles. Proper massaging techniques may also improve the way you breathe.
Correct breathing is crucial when performing physical activities. You keep your body moving by taking in oxygen every time you inhale. If you’re not breathing well, you’ll tire faster or lose the energy to continue exercising.
Massage therapy could mend that problem. A physiotherapist may improve your breathing by loosening the muscles around your chest area. With relaxed muscles, your lungs can expand, allowing you to inhale more oxygen and energize your workouts.
Conclusion
If you want better results after working out, consider scheduling regular massage sessions, too. A decent full-body massage by a trusted physiotherapist could improve your performance and recovery. You may gain more energy to work out frequently and get in great shape when your muscles are also in excellent condition.
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