Massage therapy can induce improvement to circulation and breathing and has also been proven to help heal faster after training. As a result, the soft tissues of the muscles become stronger and healthier and create a more effective training and a faster recovery time between training sessions.
Benefits of massage after workout
Benefits of massage after exercise include but are not limited to:
- Decrease in pain
- Improves recovery: Massage after strenuous exercise or from injuries to the muscles improves recovery. Massage improves blood flow, which assists healing to the damaged and/or affected areas. If there are minor injuries the lesions can be repaired quickly as well as effectively. Not only does massage quicken the recovery, but it also works to prevent injuries so that future training sessions are not unproductive, allowing for a quicker return to the activity.
- Prevents DOMS
What are doms?
“Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” (DOMS) usually occurs several hours after exercise and is painful, producing stiffness in your muscles, usually occurring after starting a new exercise program.
- Massage post-workout can also provide many benefits for reduced tension, a more effective removal of waste products, an increased range of movement, and an overall improved feeling of relaxation.
- Massage after a workout helps by increasing blood flow as fresh blood is pumped to the muscles in need, repairing any damaged tissues by carrying nutrients to be fixed quickly.
- Often, exercise can be exhausting and have psychological effects on the body. However, regular post-exercise massage has shown to decrease depression, elevate moods, reduce anxiety and motivate the body to return to a normal exercise routine.
Do massage chairs help recovery?
Whether it is an in-person massage or a massage chair for home use, a post-workout massage will most certainly improve recovery. So yes, massage chairs are helpful to recovery!
What are the benefits of massage chairs?
- Convenience: Accessibility that meets the needs for scheduling as well as duration. A post-workout massage for as little as 10 minutes is effective in improving recovery and reducing inflammation.
- Relaxation: Stress-reducing benefits are immediate and quite like a good workout, the muscular compressions provided by a massage chair also results in increased endorphins within the body. The feel-good hormones produced are a healthy way to reduce stress on the brain and body.
- Improve Post Workout Recovery
- Reduce Back Pain: Many home massage chairs have options that focus on specific areas of the body, such as lumbar massage to increase circulation and mobility in the low back, going a long way towards improving low back pain resulting from muscular overuse and instability.
- Boosting Immunity: Inflammation after a workout is scientifically an immune response. If it is working overtime, the reduction of cytokines from the massage may improve that response, also assisting in cellular function and repair important to the immune system. So whether it is a cold or if it relates to battling a more severe immune issue, frequent massages at home in a massage chair might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
You Can Even Get a Chair Massage Before Working Out
Though most of this article is about getting a chair massage after a workout, using it beforehand can be beneficial, too. Massages help your muscles loosen up. This loosening can be of particular convenience if you are sore before going into a workout.
You might think that working out with sore muscles is an effective way to get in shape. But, rather, muscles that are relaxed and rejuvenated tend to perform better in the gym. For that reason, feel free to use your massage chair both before and after workouts.
In fact, that is one great thing about getting a massage chair that has a variety of settings. Take the time to figure out which kind of chair massage helps you relax before or after a workout then go into your next fitness regime, ready to be active and mobile.
A Chair Massage Can Help Lower Blood Pressure After a Workout
The circulation system can benefit from massage, too. When you work out, your heart has to keep up with the activity. So it is pumping blood a little bit harder to ensure the muscles get plenty of oxygen while they are being pushed and strained.
Well, getting a massage after working out can help with that. Lower your blood pressure after a workout to ensure your heart returns to normal. This relaxing time after proper exercise is going to become an essential part of your health routine.
Massages Can Help with Flexibility, Too
When our muscles are more relaxed, they can be pushed and stretched that much further. To be specific, using a massage chair on a regular basis can help enhance your body’s flexibility, another reason it might be in your best interest to use the massage chair before as well as after working out. If you have flexibility training coming up, you’re going to want your muscles to be free from any soreness or fatigue, which is helpful in getting that new yoga pose just right.
Whether you’re getting a massage from a chair or a professional, the results are the same. Massages are known to help release toxins that build up in our muscle system.
In fact, that is why the practice of massage has been around for thousands of years. People recognize the health and wellness benefits and continue to want that level of relaxation.
Best Massage Chairs
Quality massage chair companies like….
- Slabway
- Zarifa
- Infinity
- OskaI
Pre Workout Massage VS Post Workout Massage
Pre-Workout
A massage before working out allows muscles to get warmed up and stretched out to be more flexible, helping to get in the right frame of mind to start the workout.
A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that the psychological benefits of a pre-workout massage, including reduced stress, tension, and anxiety leaves one more relaxed and focused on getting the best results from the workout.
The massage should be gentle with light strokes and not deep tissue, which, if done pre-workout, could cause muscle soreness and tightness before even beginning.
Post-workout
Receiving a massage once you’ve finished working out helps reduce muscle soreness by reducing inflammation and reduces your recovery time by speeding up cell recovery.
The answer is there are considerable benefits to having a massage both before and after a workout. Be especially certain to get the correct type of massage to set the body up for true success.
Can you overuse a massage chair?
Excessive use is known to lead to muscle damage, inflammation and bruised tissues, in addition to causing harm to the internal massage chair motor. So, take it slow and easy with your massage chair, especially when you’re using it for the first time. The cost of overuse does not outweigh any perceived benefit.
Many massage chairs have the ability to stretch and knead the problem areas where muscles are too tight, and relaxing them will help calm down the skeletal structure. It is warned, though, that excessive use of massage chairs leads to muscle damage, inflammation and bruised tissues, in addition to causing harm to the internal massage chair motor.
It is worthy to note and be aware of the following list of contradictions for massage therapy:
- Infectious skin disease
- A rash
- An unhealed wound
- Immediately after surgery
- A tendency to form blood clots or if using blood thinners
- Circulatory ailments such as phlebitis or varicose veins
- Inflamed or infected injuries
- Areas of bleeding or heavy tissue damage
- At the sites of recent fractures, sprains, or bruises
- Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Osteoporosis (use caution)
Work with a Professional When Implementing New Health and Wellness Practices
Of course, prior to starting any new form of treatment it is imperative to talk to a doctor. If there is chronic pain, numbness, or tingling, always consult a physician. A doctor can determine the cause of pain and prescribe the right treatment therapies.