What Are The Benefits Of A Post-workout Massage?

Have you ever felt soreness or pain after an intense workout or physical training? Don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal. Everyone who’s ever played a physical sport or game has had some sort of similar experience before (or probably still does). What most people don’t know is that this discomfort is a result of toxin buildup in the muscles as well as microscopic tears that happen because of either prolonged or excessive exertion.

You see, when muscles contract or pull too much, tiny breaks (but nothing serious) in the tissues can occur. And although they might be painful in the beginning, these tears push the body to reform the muscles, eventually making them bigger and stronger in the end. Do you remember the “no pain no gain” mantra most fitness instructors tell you?

Unfortunately, this same pain and discomfort demotivate a lot of people from continuing to train or workout because it doesn’t only take time for the pain to go away, but the idea of suffering pain again is not exactly enticing for a lot of people. It’s a good thing that there’s now a way to address this issue – getting regular massages after a workout. Let me tell you why.

Massages loosen the muscles and help relieve tension

The correct application of pressure on specific areas of the muscles can cause the contracted muscles to loosen and eventually return to a relaxed state. This is why massages often feel very good after a long and straining day or after a strenuous physical exercise.

A massage directly addresses what the immediate problem is after a workout – contracted muscles. Once these muscles have been “released” or relaxed, the body can then focus on addressing the problems resulting from the contraction – that would be the microtears and toxin buildup.

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Massages improve blood circulation

Do you remember the last time you needed to un-twist or unwind a hose for the water to flow? Well, that’s relatively similar to how a massage improves blood circulation. You see, when a massage unwinds the muscles, the vessels supplying blood to the muscles become less restricted. Blood inside the vessel then flows faster, and this leads to two essential events:

• First, as the blood supply to the muscle increases, more oxygen and essential repair materials get delivered to the muscles. This results in faster healing of the damaged muscle tissues.
• Second, as blood flows faster through the muscles, it carries wastes and toxins away. This helps flush out the toxic byproducts that have accumulated in the muscles due to prolonged contractions, allowing them to recover faster.

Obviously, the sooner you unwind the tensed muscles, the sooner (and a lot easier) you can return the blood flow back to normal. Therefore, the faster you recover.

Massage induces the release of beneficial chemicals in the body

Another good thing about a massage is that it causes the body to release endorphins. These natural “feel-good” chemicals have several benefits on the body, which would be more pronounced if they are induced a lot sooner. Here are just some of them:

1. Endorphins improve your overall mood. So instead of feeling cranky after an exhausting workout, these chemicals will make you feel better and less irritable – a welcome benefit not only for you but more so for the people around you. Don’t get me wrong though. Endorphins will not make you less tired, but they can make you feel less grouchy.
2. Endorphins also reduce inflammation. This means that flooding your system with these chemicals has a good chance of getting your swollen muscles back to normal a lot faster. Now if you’re concerned about the swelling, then you can stop worrying. It’s normal. The inflammation of the muscles is just a result of an immune response as the body detects the damage in your muscles. And although it is annoying, it is quite natural. With immediate and frequent endorphin release (from massages), the inflammation will go away quickly.
3. Endorphins also have pain-relieving effects. No, it doesn’t take the pain away completely, but it will make it more bearable or less noticeable, allowing you to focus more on being more relaxed. It’s no wonder most people coming from a massage report feeling rejuvenated.

So, you see, massages after a workout provide many benefits to the body. However, the biggest benefit, I suppose, is that they can help you continue training. As massages allow you to suffer less from the pain and stimulate your body to heal faster, you don’t get demotivated. On the contrary, they might even inspire you to work out more regularly and become healthier.

Now, if you’re considering the cost and inconvenience of going to a spa for a massage after every workout, you might want to think about opting for a massage chair instead. They do offer the same benefits, but they will be always available to you after each workout or anytime you need it, and it's more cost-effective in the long run.