We all know that maintaining an active lifestyle is essential to our overall health and well-being. But the more you push your fitness boundaries, the more your body gets strained or exhausted.
As you progress with your workout routine, it is important to enable your body to recover and rebuild itself. One of the proven ways to do this is by getting a massage, especially after strenuous physical activity. The benefits of massage after workout are numerous.ย
According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), massage offers substantial mental and bodily benefits to individuals who exercise and do sports. By providing care to your muscles, massage can help you take your fitness performance to the next level.ย ย
In this article, we will explore what happens to the body when you exercise and the notable benefits of massage after a workout.ย
What Happens to the Body After a Workout Session
Several things can occur to your body after you finish a workout session. You may start to feel pain, exhaustion, soreness, and tightness around your muscles.ย
This is due to the microtears your muscles have sustained from strenuous exercise. Although these symptoms are often normal, they can cause some people to lose motivation and give up on their exercise routine.ย
Thatโs why it is crucial to give your body the rest and recovery it needs after an intense workout. Your body will recover differently depending on your level of fitness. A post-workout massage is a helpful way to speed up your bodyโs recovery.ย
How a Post-Workout Massage Can Help You
Increases Circulation
Starting a new routine or ramping up the intensity of training can result in increased fatigue and pain. A post-workout massage helps increase blood flow and circulation to ease stiffness and tightness of muscle tissues.ย
This increased circulation delivers oxygenated blood throughout your body, keeping it in good shape and improving your overall health. It also reduces the build-up of lactic acid, which can cause soreness and muscle cramps.ย
By ensuring a healthy circulation, massage can give you more energy to sustain challenging workouts. It lets you perform at a high level of intensity while mitigating the risk of injuries.ย
Improves Range of Motion and Flexibility
It is vital to stretch your body from the start to the end of any fitness routine. Before your workout, it warms up and loosens your muscles for intense exercises. Stretching also soothes your muscles to reduce fatigue and inflammation after a workout.ย
A post-workout massage utilizes a combination of techniques to hold and gently pull the muscles for a more thorough stretch. It can also enhance the range of motion on your muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissues.ย
By stretching these parts of your body, you can benefit from increased flexibility while being less prone to muscle sprains and damage. This enables you to create powerful and dynamic movements during exercise.ย
Reduces Post-Workout Inflammation
After completing a high-intensity workout, you may experience delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS, which can last for a few days. It often causes unpleasant pain, fatigue, and occasional swelling in the muscles due to inflammation.ย
Getting a post-workout massage is a great way to combat this soreness in your body and allow damaged tissues to heal properly. In a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, it was shown that massage is effective in alleviating DOMS by 30%.ย
By increasing the blood flow and circulation, massage helps reduce inflammation and melts any tightness away. It also gently stretches your muscles and properly cools them down to reduce the occurrence of DOMS.ย
Relieves Pain and Tension
All the heavy lifting, planks, and pushups you do during a workout can take a toll on your body. When your muscles are tense and strained, you may feel pain or aches in your neck, shoulders, and lower back.
With its use of various techniques, a post-workout massage helps target these specific areas of the body. For instance, increasing circulation in the lumbar spine can reduce low back pain caused by muscle overuse. This is beneficial in improving your mobility and daily functioning.ย
Massage can also target key points in the neck and shoulders where pain may be persistent. By easing tension in these areas, it helps with a stiff neck or heavy shoulders.ย
Accelerates Muscle Recovery
Recovery is a critical component of a balanced fitness routine. A post-workout massage provides your muscles with good circulation, so the cells can start rebuilding. By promoting more blood flow, massage helps speed up muscle recovery.ย
According to a 2015 study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Ohio State University found the effectiveness of massage in increasing the percentage of muscle fiber regeneration. It gives even greater benefits when done immediately after a workout.ย
Aside from helping you recover faster, getting a massage also prevents the risk of further injuries. It relaxes and takes the tightness from your muscle tissue, allowing you to prepare for your next workout and train harder.
Flushes Out Toxins
Toxins can build up in your muscles due to several reasons. If you work out with high levels of toxins in your body, it can damage your muscle tissue and cause inflammatory sensations.ย
Thus, it is important to cleanse and detoxify regularly by getting a massage. This can help you dissolve and flush out those harmful toxins that accumulated in your muscles, releasing them into the bloodstream.
The physical stimulation from massage improves your blood flow while delivering oxygen throughout the body to aid in the recovery process. With decreased inflammation, your body can cool down more quickly and efficiently without feeling sore.ย
Boosts Immunity
Inflammation is usually your immune systemโs response after a high-intensity workout. If you frequently experience this, getting a massage helps improve your immune response and reduce inflammatory cytokines.ย
Massage can aid in improving cellular function and repairing damaged cells to boost your immune system. It has also been found to increase the number of lymphocytes or white blood cells that help the body fight off disease and its symptoms.ย
Whether you suffer from colds or feel immediately tired after exercise, massage has the ability to strengthen your immunity and heal physical barriers. This enables your body to bounce back faster and maximize your workout performance.ย
Improves Relaxation and Mental Wellness
One of the most popular benefits of massage is enhancing your ability to relax after an intense workout session. Aside from soothing the body and promoting physical health, it also supportsย your mental and emotional wellness.ย
Whether you are an athlete or a fitness enthusiast, you may feel pressured to push yourself to reach peak performance. Getting a post-workout massage helps calm your mind, lowering your stress and anxiety levels.ย
It also promotes the production of โfeel-goodโ chemicals in your body, such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These are responsible for mood regulation and overall well-being.ย
Enhances Quality of Sleepย
The muscle pain following a rigorous workout can intensify at night, resulting in sleeping difficulties or even insomnia. If you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you can benefit from getting a massage.ย
With its relaxing and calming effect, massage helps induce deeper and more restful sleep during the night. It also increases your bodyโs serotonin levels to produce more melatonin, a hormone associated with the sleep-wake cycle.ย
As a result, you can experience better sleep quality without frequent disturbances. This allows you to wake up feeling well-rested throughout the day and ready to conquer your daily tasks.ย
Essential Features of a Post-Workout Massage Chair
Massage chairs offer convenient, easy access to pain relief and relaxation after a workout. They are ready to use whenever you need them without the hassle of going to a spa. You can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home.ย
A massage chair is designed to simulate the techniques and motions of a real masseuse or therapist. It has automatic programs to target various areas of your body, like the upper or lower back, calves, and glutes. These programs can also be customized to suit your specific needs.ย
Below are some of the essential components of a good post-workout massage chair.ย
Various Intensity and Motionsย
All massage chairs feature a variety of pre-programmed massage techniques and patterns for the entire body. This function is made possible by massage chair motors, which are the most essential mechanical components in the process.
These motors deliver the required power and movement to the massage chair, allowing you to make any adjustments that fit your needs.ย
From the top of your spine down to your lower back, the massage chair provides a selection of motions. You can choose from tapping, rolling, and kneading motions to improve your post-workout recovery.ย
Targeted Massage
A massage chair comes with nodes and rollers in different shapes and sizes. They work deep into your body by mimicking the motions of a massage therapistโs hands and fingers.ย
You can get a more comprehensive treatment from a massage chair with wide nodes and rollers. Meanwhile, chairs with small nodes and rollers usually offer more precise and point-specific massages.ย
A massage chair involves preset mechanisms and patterns that target specific areas of your body. They can include up and down, in and out, and side to side movements. You can also adjust the settings based on your preferences to maximize relief from body aches and tension.ย
Adjustable to the User
A good massage chair is designed to automatically adjust to the userโs height, weight, and width. You can monitor the pressure at the back of the seat to modify the projection of the nodes and rollers. Using the control pad, you can refine the settings and select other inputs.ย
The massage chair will locate particular areas on your back and make the necessary modifications based on your height and width. This allows for a more personalized experience.
From gentle pressure to deep tissue massages, a massage chair lets you control the intensity level and technique you need with the click of a button.ย
Best Massage Chair After a Workout
Thereโs no denying the significant benefits of massage after a workout. And thanks to advancedย technology, it is now much easier for highly active individuals to get a massage and boost recovery.
Many different types of massage chairs are available on the market. They offer a wide range of features and functionalities, making them an excellent alternative to traditional massages.ย
If you are looking for the best massage chair, you should only choose a reliable provider. At Massage Chair Relief, we offer the highest quality massage chairs to help you with pain relief and relaxation after a workout.ย
Our extensive selection of massage chairs comes in a variety of designs and styles from top manufacturers and models. We guarantee that you will find the perfect option for your needs.
Call us today at 888-259-5380 or discover our latest massage chair product offerings.ย