Here’s how massage can help relieve sore muscles after workout
November 17th, 2019
It is common to get sore muscles after vigorous exercise, especially if you are starting on a new workout
regime or sport, or intensifying your existing one. Though any high-intensity workout can cause
soreness, eccentric exercise mostly triggers it.
Eccentric exercise is an exercise where the muscles are contracting whilst lengthening – eg downhill
running, landing drills and plyometric exercises like lunges, jump squats, push-ups and skipping.
Physiologists refer to this muscle soreness as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), and it usually
occurs between 24 and 48 hours after the activity.
During an intense workout, small microscopic tears occur in the muscle fiber and connective tissue. This
damage, along with inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the ache or pain. However, once
your body gets accustomed to the new regime, you start to experience little or no muscle soreness.
Usually, the ache subsides within a few days it can make it difficult for you to maintain your workout
regime. There are high chances that you will not feel like getting out of your bed and it may also hamper
your day-to-day activities.
Why Massage Works
A good massage after a rigorous session of exercise can help muscles recover and manage pain and
aches thereby making you feel good. A massage eases inflammation and stimulates cell repair,
improves blood flow and reduces muscle tightness. There are different types of massage therapies that
can help heal your muscle fiber and tissues.
Here are some of the best massage therapies to relieve sore muscles after workout:
- Swedish MassageSwedish massage, also known as a classic massage, is one of the most commonly offered massage techniques. A less vigorous massage style, it relies on gentle strokes and circular motions to ease your soreness and promote relaxation. During a Swedish massage, therapists use kneading, long strokes, deep circular movements and passive joint movements to stimulate nerve endings, increase blood flow and lymph drainage and help you relax.
- Deep-Tissue MassageDeep-tissue massage focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles, tendons and connective tissue, where soreness typically begins. Some of the strokes are similar to those used in a Swedish massage, but the movement is slower and the pressure is deeper and concentrated on areas where you feel tension and pain to reach the sub-layer of muscles and the fascia. As the body releases more serotonin in response to the massage, a natural chemical produced by the brain that creates positive feelings, deep tissue massage can relieve your pain symptoms and help you feel more relaxed.
- Sports MassageSports massage reduces swelling caused due to intense workout, loosens tired and stiff muscles, promotes blood flow to the muscles and also helps maintain flexibility. It also decreases recovery time and alleviates pulls, strains and soreness. The therapists vigorously rub your entire body, kneading your muscles and increasing circulation, which helps in repairing the torn muscles and tissues.
- Trigger-Point MassageIt is a form of remedial massage therapy in which pressure is applied to specific areas where you feel the most pain. This type of massage focuses on tender muscle tissue to ease muscle tension and manage pain. A massage has numerous therapeutic benefits and if you are a fitness freak or work out a few times a week, you must make it a regular part of your routine. A post-workout massage boosts your circulation which will improve your health and improve your endurance.
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