When it comes to staying fit, many people think of going to the gym and hitting the weights, running on a treadmill, or doing yoga. While these activities are all beneficial to your overall health, they can often lead to sore muscles, fatigue, and even injury, if done improperly. Massage therapy is an excellent way to supplement your fitness routine and help keep your body healthy.
Massage is a holistic therapy that helps to reduce pain, improve circulation, and increase flexibility. When used in combination with regular exercise, it can help to improve your overall fitness level and help you reach your goals. It can both help to reduce the risk of injury, and enhance the exercise itself. First of all, massage helps to loosen up tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce stress on the body. This allows the muscles to work more effectively and helps them to recover more quickly after a workout, as well as creating a 'cushion' against any potential injury. The increased circulation also helps flush out lactic acid which is the byproduct of muscles working that can make them feel achy, and sore plus it helps bring good stuff back into and through the system more quickly.
Sometimes exercise and other fitness routines may seem out of reach for those that have chronic pain, old injuries, or other issues that make working out scary for fear of re-injury or overall pain. Massage can be beneficial in this case for those who suffer from chronic pain, as it helps to reduce inflammation and relieve tension, which may encourage them to try some minor exercise and get started. Massage can also help to improve overall mental health by helping to reduce stress and anxiety, and can even help to boost mood and reduce depression. This also helps to improve sleep, as it helps to relax the body and mind. All of this can help to get over the barrier of fear of starting an exercise or fitness routine, or re-starting after coming back from an injury.
When it comes to a fitness routine, massage can help enhance overall health by helping to reduce pain, improve circulation, and increase flexibility. It can also help to reduce the risk of injury and help reach fitness goals. Wether an athlete, a weekend warrior, or just someone who wants to stay in shape, massage can be a valuable part of training and exercise. It helps to improve performance and reduce post-workout soreness, aids in the recovery process by helping to flush out lactic acid buildup in the muscles, which then can help to reduce fatigue and speed up healing time, and just overall make workouts more effective and long-lasting.
Therapist's Note: With exercise, I always encourage my clients to make sure they are watching their form when doing movements or especially when lifting weights. A few small posture mis-steps can cause painful and frustrating problems which might not necessarily be bad injuries, but may create enough pain to make them want to give up the workout. I always recommend working in front of a mirror or having a trainer or other professional occasionally check the way the exercise is being done to minimize any "wrong moves" that can cause an injury. -Karen
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