After getting yourself out to the local gym, completing your workout regimen, and toweling off, your exercising process isn’t quite complete! After exercising, are massages always good to add to the experience? Here are the most important things to know about massages–both before and after your time at the gym!
A post-workout massage is great for reducing muscle soreness, lowering blood pressure, and releasing endorphins in the body. Post-exercise massages can help you mentally relax after strenuous effort. Just make sure to get the right type of athletic massage that isn’t too deep to avoid causing pain.
What is the difference between getting a massage before exercising versus after exercising? What are all the pros and cons of specifically getting a post-workout massage? Let’s go over in detail what to know and remember when it comes to getting yourself a relaxing massage appointment after some hard exercise.
Positives of Massages Before Working Out
Getting a pre-workout massage is perfect for those who want to prep their bodies before they take their first jog around the neighborhood or complete a set of barbell lifts! A pre-workout massage can warm up a person’s muscles so that they are ready to be stretched and strengthened. Warm and stretched muscles will be less likely to get injured than cold and stiff muscles. Massaging before physical exertion can also loosen up painful knots and tight spots in the body so that working out is a comfortable and enjoyable experience!
Imagine that a massage before exercising is like putting on sunscreen before suntanning–it can only help you feel better and protect your body. Gentle pre-workout massages will increase your flexibility, decrease the risk of injury, and loosen your muscles up as mentioned before.
Laying down for a rubdown before you start pushing your body to the limit can not only help physically but also mentally! Getting a massage before leaping into a challenging exercise routine can put you in the correct headspace and frame of mind. Some studies have found that the psychological pros of a massage before working out include decreased stress, less tension, minimized anxiety, and a more focused and relaxed state of mind afterward. This will help you to get the most out of your ensuing exercise time.
Early massages don’t just help your muscles before you put them to work. Massages can also help you prepare for a daunting sports event, like a Spartan race, marathon, endurance challenge, or other intense activity. Pre-exercise massages can help you emotionally and psychologically since many people find that after a massage, their anxiety-induced jitters and nervousness have dissipated after a good massage. There are even chemical endorphins released with every massage! These endorphins will help put you in a better mood and a more positive headspace will improve whatever exercise you are about to start!
Negatives of Massages Before Working Out
The biggest negative of a massage before physical exertion is the risk of potentially getting a harmful massage. If you don’t specify why you are getting the massage in the first place the masseuse, could massage with too much force. A hardcore massage could cause immediate body soreness and pain that could last into the workout itself, making gym time needlessly miserable. This all being said, an intense deep-tissue massage is not the way to go before jumping into working out! Even if a massage feels good at the moment, make sure it doesn’t get too deep and high-pressure. Having an intense pre-exercise massage can cause raw muscles, soreness, muscle strain, and muscle injuries.
Best Type of Pre-Exercise Massages
Getting a massage before working out is a terrific idea, but it is even more helpful to know what type to specifically get. Try to get a relaxation, aromatherapy, or Ayurvedic massage before exercising. A massage before exercising doesn’t even need to be too long to be effective. A short, 30-minute massage immediately before you hit the gym or start your workout for the day would be ideal!
Positives of Massages After Working Out
Not only are massages before a workout good for your health, but a massage following up a day at the gym is amazing for your health too. A professional post-workout massage can help you bounce back from the soreness that naturally occurs after exercise even faster than someone who does not get an after-massage. A deep tissue or sports massage is the best type to get after working out. There are even full-body massage chairs that can be purchased to help decrease muscle soreness, lower blood pressure, and boost your energy.
The same principles of stretching out after a workout to decrease body soreness apply to after-exercise massages. Usually, people feel after-workout pain and soreness about 12 to 24 hours after they finish physically exerting themselves. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness, sometimes shortened to DOMS. A massage right after running or weightlifting will help treat and heal muscle fatigue, speed up after-workout recovery time, increase healthy muscle blood flow, and decrease your overall stiffness.
Post-exercise massages
Post-exercise massages will only help you and make you feel better, something that plenty of scientific studies and surveys have proven. Massages have even been said and reported to be more effective at reducing muscle soreness when compared to other recovery techniques like active recovery, stretching, hyperbaric treatment, cryotherapy, and electrostimulation!
Those who attend the gym regularly will find that they are more susceptible and prone to injuries while working out. The muscle recovery process that massages create will help you to feel better faster. Muscles need adequate blood circulation for the cells of the body to start to rebuild, and muscle recovery can help with all of that. The muscle recovery process that starts after a massage increases circulation and gets cells to rebuild even faster than before.
Heightened blood circulation from massages will reduce your inflammation and your health as a whole. This is because good blood flow is crucial for and beneficial to all the organs of the human body. Better blood flow keeps you feeling better, looking younger, and your immunity stronger! There will be fewer headaches to deal with an increase in energy and more focused workouts.
The best time to get sports, Swedish-style, or deep massage after exercising is roughly no more than 2 hours after completing your activity or exertion. A post-workout massage should only last for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. It is wise to follow up your time at the gym with a massage to lessen your inflammation and speed up your inner cell recovery. Try to book a post-exercise massage as soon as possible after working out to decrease delayed onset muscle soreness by as much as 30%!
Negatives of Massages After Working Out
Similar to pre-workout massages, a post-workout massage can prove to be harmful and even painful if you don’t have it done the right way. Even though sports massages and deep tissue massages are recommended for after-exercise care, some deep tissue massages can prove to be too rough and could even damage muscles that are more vulnerable after working out.
Trigger point work in a deep massage can also be painful or dangerous right after working out. To avoid injury, make sure to inform your masseuse why you are getting the massage in the first place and tell them if you just finished working out so they will know how to safely treat you for muscle soreness and recovery.
Different Ways to Find Exercise Massages
Even though lots of people avoid massages as a whole since they deem them to be too expensive, there are more cost-effective ways to include massages before and after your workouts! Some gyms, like PureGym and others, will offer perks like pre- and post-workout massages in their subscription plans.
It can also be helpful to research and book athletic masseuses and locations by using online resources like forums and websites. Full-body massage chairs could even be used instead of a professional to save your money over time and this option offers you a massage any time of the day or night for as long as you want!
There are plenty of ways to discover a form of massaging that works for and appeals to you personally. Consider finding your own massage therapist, massage chair, or massage gun to loosen up and cut loose after working out. It is always worth it to get the most out of your time spent improving your body and mind. Spend the money on the massage or massage tool, because it will pay for itself in how much better your mind and body will immediately feel!
Different Types of Exercise Massages
There are a few different types of massages to find and choose from when it comes to pairing one with working out. Before exercising, a relaxation, aromatherapy, or Ayurvedic massage is the ideal type to get. The post-workout massages can be recognized by their gentleness and light strokes, which are the opposite of the deep tissue style of massaging.
Swedish-style massages
Then there are sports massages, Swedish-style massages, and deep tissue massages. These types can often be geared for more serious athletes and novices alike, and are the ideal type to get for post-workout recovery and relaxation! No matter if you get a massage before or after working out, make sure to never get a massage or workout if you are ill, as pushing yourself and jumping into an intense massage could cause further injury and pain. The best way to heal from sickness is through deliberate rest, medicine, and sleep.
People have analyzed the best types of massage for post-working out and have also discovered what each style accomplishes for your needs and goals. Swedish massages are great for reducing stress and releasing more dopamine and serotonin throughout the whole body.
Thai massages use yoga posturing and acupressure to unblock your energy flow and eliminate the annoying stiffness present in your body! Sports massages can improve your athletic performance by relieving tension, preventing injuries, and heightening your range of flexibility!
Reflexology
Reflexology, or zone therapy, can target your pressure points to boost your metabolism, increase your endorphins, and get rid of your built-up toxins. Try out some muscle percussion therapy to get some muscle recovery started. Many professional athletes use muscle percussion therapy to speed their recovery and reduce after-exercise aches and pains.
All in all, massages are honestly always good after and before exercising. Just make sure you get the correct type–and get it as soon as you can after working out!
Average Cost of Different Types of Massage Means
The pricing for massages after working out varies from place to place and depending on how the massage happens. The price for most massages throughout the United States averages about $60. On the plus side, some types of insurance plans can pay for sports massages depending on the rules of their plans.
Massage chairs on the other hand can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $9,000. Some of these machines are state-of-the-art and often cost so much because they are generally a forever purchase for an individual or an entire family. Handheld massage guns are far more portable than massage chairs and can be less costly, with their costs falling somewhere in the $100 to $600 range for customers.
Other types of after-workout recovery methods can also be more expensive than some athletic massage options. For example, acupuncture after working out can cost anywhere from $75 per single session and up to $1,000 depending on how many sessions you undergo.
Other Ways to Recover After Exercising
There are additional ways for you to improve your body and mind after exercising. Some of these coping mechanisms include ice baths, anti-inflammatory medications, electrostimulation, stretches, acupuncture, active recovery, chiropractic adjustments, cupping, and hyperbaric treatment. These varied recovery techniques are fantastic for physical recovery and mental rejuvenation. Massages are often the most effective way to recover after exertion. Your professional doctors, therapists, and healthcare workers may also have alternative means by which you can recover after exercising.