If you only hit up your gym’s weights, treadmills, and classes, now’s the time to start hitting its spa, too. Here are four benefits of booking a post-workout massage.
Stronger Muscles
Little structures called mitochondria, housed in every one of your muscle cells, fuel your muscles with energy. Massage actually increases the volume of mitochondria in your muscle cells to improve oxygenation and muscle endurance, says Timothy Miller, M.D., director of the Endurance Medicine Program and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Better Recovery
According to 2015 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting, massaged muscles have only half the scar tissue of non-massaged ones. Plus, they also contain more blood vessels, which may be responsible for getting oxygen-carrying blood to the worked muscles and clearing out exercise byproducts to reduce inflammation, explains Nikki Naab-Levy, an exercise physiologist and licensed massage practitioner at Indigo Kinetics in Seattle.
Slimmer Chances of Injury
“Muscles that are heavily exercised may become difficult to relax, making them hypertonic with diminished flexibility,” says licensed massage therapist Eva Carey, New Jersey Regional Manager with Zeel Massage On Demand, a smartphone app for booking same-day, in-home massages. “This creates muscle soreness and increases the risk of injury, especially muscle pulls and tears.” By helping your muscles relax and increasing flexibility, you can help prevent getting sidelined by injuries.
Better Performances
“Massage can help release restricted tissues, which means better posture, increased mobility, and less compensated movement,” says Naab-Levy. That means you crank out your workouts with better form, strength, speed, and results.
TIME IT RIGHT: Massages feel good any time, but they are most beneficial if you receive them within 30 minutes after your workout so your muscles will still be warm and limber, Miller says. Follow up your workouts with a quick shower in the locker room and then head on over to your gym’s spa.