5 Ways Massage Therapy Can Help You Recover Faster

 

As an athlete, you are already aware that it’s very important to keep your entire body healthy so you can keep on training and performing at 100%. It’s also very important that you take care of your muscles and give them enough time to recover after an intense workout. Since resting is an important part of your training routine, because your muscles are recovering and regaining their functionality you shouldn’t skip it. But there is a way you can make it go much faster and better with regular massage therapy sessions.

Getting regular massage therapy sessions has a lot of benefits for your entire body and one of them is faster recovery from injuries, workouts, and surgery. Here are five ways massage therapy can help you recover faster and boost your overall health.

Massage Therapy Improves Your Immune System

Getting regular massages will help you battle against germs, bacteria, and illnesses that are constantly attacking your body and trying to get in and cause trouble. As an athlete you do not want your performance to be hindered in any way and getting sick will do just that. Massages are able to give a boost to your defenses which means that you won’t get sick too often and you will be able to give 100% when you are training. 

Several studies support this fact and in this first one, 20 men who had HIV were given 45-minute massages per week for an entire month. Once the study was over the individuals presented an increase in serotonin and an improved defense in the immune system cells. 

Another study was done on 34 participants who had recent surgery because they had breast cancer. They were given 30-minute massages three times a week for the duration of five weeks. Each of the participants was assessed on the first day and the last day of the study by testing their urine samples, immune system markers, and psychological state of mind. The findings at the end of the study showed that the participants were experiencing less anxiety, depression, and anger while at the same time showing signs of improved immune markers in the form of increased dopamine, serotonin, and lymphocyte levels.

Massage Therapy Betters Your Posture

Your posture can be significantly impacted by regular massage in a positive way. Having bad posture is something that many people suffer from and it occurs for many different reasons. There are various ways a posture can be bad for a person including kyphotic (where the shoulders are too forward and the person is hunched), lordotic (where the stomach sticks out forward and the buttocks stick out), and flat back (where the back just doesn’t have a natural curve). These are mainly caused by lack of exercise and incorrect way of seating when at work. If you have a bad posture you may experience many unwanted symptoms such as joint stiffness, muscle tightness, and joint pain which is not good for you at all. 

Having regular massage therapy sessions like deep tissue massage or sports massage can have a huge impact on your posture and improve it in just a few sessions. 

Deep tissue massages are great because they focus on the deeper layers of tissue and muscle fibers and through the pressure, the therapist is able to release the muscle tightness. This increases mobility and range of movement along the entire body which allows for the posture to correct itself and get back to normal.

Sports massage is similar to deep tissue but it focuses on improving the blood flow in muscles to increase temperature and flexibility. When the muscles and joints become more flexible, the range of motion is increased and the posture can get back to normal.

It Increases Circulation

Certain types of massages can increase your circulation and blood flow in your muscles. One of those types is the Swedish massage which is a gentle one that focuses on relaxing your body physically and also relaxes your mind. It’s a massage that will lower the tightness and tension in your muscles using pressure techniques. This type of massage will also improve the circulation of your blood and lymph in the entire body due to the friction that is created when the fingers rub the skin. Better and increased circulation will improve your muscles and make them healthier, stronger, and less susceptible to fatigue when you are training. 

Improved circulation will also help you recover faster because an increased blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients will reach your sore muscles and enable them to heal faster. This will also reduce the time you spend resting and increase your training time and performance.

It Breaks up Scar Tissue 

Scar tissue forms any time you injure your body. Scar tissue is actually a band of adhesions that are tough and they prevent your body from having the full range of motion. They may also cause you inflammation and pain while slowing down your entire recovery process. Luckily, massage can help break these adhesions and scar tissue build-up. Both deep tissue massage and sports massage are great ways to break-up scar tissue. 

Sports massage breaks up scar tissue by raising the temperature in and around it which causes it to loosen up. Once it’s loose it’s much easier to get broken down. A massage therapist will use different techniques to ensure that the scar tissue is broken down while at the same time you are feeling relaxed. 

The deep tissue massage is also used to break up scar tissue. By using deep and firm pressure, the massage therapist is pressing down on the muscle fibers and tissues which causes the adhesions to break down. Once the adhesions give in and break down they will release the restriction they had on movement and you will feel pain and stress relief.

Massage Therapy Relaxes The Muscles

As an athlete or a physically active individual, you can expect muscle tightness, soreness, and pain. Through regular massage sessions, you can get relief from tightness, soreness, and pain. Massage will relax your muscles and reduce these unpleasant feelings in your muscles allowing you to recover much quicker and perform at 100% capacity much faster. Massages are regularly given to people who have suffered an injury in the past for faster recovery of their muscles. Having regular massage therapy sessions with a licensed specialist will benefit you in the long run because your muscles will recover faster after intense workouts due to the relaxing massage. 

Regular massage therapy sessions are extremely beneficial even if you are not an athlete but finding the right therapist for your specific needs can be a daunting task. Our team of professionals is the perfect choice for you if you are looking for safe and effective massages that will help you feel more recovered even after one session. If that is something you are looking for, contact us right away and book a session now.