Many of us go to the gym to keep our bodies healthy and looking good. In doing so, we often place our muscles under a tremendous amount of stress, causing short term damage in order to achieve long-term gains. However, what many of us do not realise is that there are steps we can take to minimise the damage to our muscles, promoting muscle recovery and reducing the risk of injury.
Most athletes in this day and age have personal masseuses so that they can receive rubdowns as and when they finish exercising. While that is not a feasible solution for most of us, we can ensure that our bodies receive the same treatment on a regular basis as well.
Some of the most important ways in which massage helps us are listed below:
Muscle Recovery – Massage has several benefits for people who work out on a regular basis. We generally tend to ignore post-workout therapy and the impact it has on our body. Working out daily can leave you with problems like tensed muscles, a sore back or muscle soreness. Massage can help reduce the stiffness, which improves one’s range of motion and reduces the chances of injury in future workouts. Massage also helps to reduce the lactic acid buildup in our muscles after strenuous workouts, which improves the conditioning of the muscles, allowing for better workouts over the next few days than would otherwise have been possible.
Improves Flexibility – Workouts often place our muscles under a tremendous amount of physical stress as we strive to exceed the limits of our muscles in order to help them grow faster and become stronger than would otherwise have been possible. While this does make them stronger than they would have been without a workout, one of the side effects of most weight training workouts is that they also become shorter in the process, which reduces one’s flexibility. Massage can undo these effects, lengthening the muscles. This improves one’s flexibility and reduces the risk of future injury, leaving you stronger and more durable than you would have otherwise been.
Promoting blood circulation – Massage can help boost the blood flow to specific areas of the body when it is focused on that particular body part, using a wide range of massage techniques such as kneading strokes and finger pressure. The body responds to these techniques by boosting blood flow to the area in question. Our blood carries oxygen, which helps to rejuvenate these muscles, undoing the stress they were placed under hours ago or during the week as part of a workout routine.
Skin Rejuvenation – The improved blood flow also has a positive effect on one’s skin. The improved oxygen supply not only leaves one’s skin with a healthy glow, but it also has the effect of ridding the body of toxins and dirt particles that could otherwise accumulate. It is important to remember, however, that this is not the primary goal of most massages, and this is simply a byproduct of most sports recovery massages. If getting rid of toxins is your primary goal, consider opting for a detox massage instead of deep tissue massage or sports recovery massage.
At Yinyang Connection Massage Centre, our therapists are trained to provide a wide range of massages, including sports recovery massage, to help ensure that your body remains in peak conditioning. Book an appointment with our team today and ensure your muscles are able to receive the full benefits of your workout without any of the associated issues that usually accompany such workouts!
