Benefits of massage in post-workout

Melanie Ramos 3 min. of reading Natural remedies Leave a comment

Massage can be super effective for easing the effects of intense exercise since it can reduce muscle spasms, relieve muscle pain, and speed up recovery.

One of its roles is to help reduce inflammation and cut down recovery time between workouts.

Vigorous exercise causes small tears in muscle fibers, triggering an immune reaction like inflammation.

While massage doesn’t stop muscle tears from happening, it does reduce the inflammation that comes with them.

Massage lowers the production of compounds called cytokines, which play a key role in inflammation. Plus, massage also seems to help cells recover by boosting levels of a protein called PGC-1 alpha, which stimulates the creation of new mitochondria (tiny organelles inside cells crucial for muscle energy production and adapting to endurance exercise).

Benefits of post-workout massage

Here are the main benefits of massage after a tough training session:

Increases blood flow

Vasodilation or hyperemia caused by the stimuli from manipulating the muscle with massage leads to widening of blood vessels, which improves blood circulation and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients muscles need to recover.

Reduces muscle stiffness and improves flexibility

After training, our body releases lactic acid through the muscles. Lactic acid is produced by cellular oxidation of glucose, and when it builds up in tissues, it causes muscle fatigue.

Lactic acid crystallizes and causes muscle fiber stiffness. Massage combined with stretching helps clear out excess lactic acid in muscles to ease stiffness and prevent future injuries.

Also, we’ll improve overall range of motion, since pairing massage with stretching helps muscles and joints increase flexibility and development.

Boosts physical and mental relaxation

It’s proven that massage produces a boost in overall well-being.

Regular massage helps reduce depression, lift mood, lower anxiety, calm the mind, and improve sleep.

Some or all of these factors can play a role in recovery after exercise. Depression can kill motivation and make it tough to stay on top of a workout routine.

High stress levels sometimes lead to overeating and skipping exercise. The inability to sleep well at night directly impacts sports performance. The relaxation effects of massage are a great fix for all these issues. Massage will help you lift your mood, so you’re ready and motivated to get back to your workout routine.