Benefits of massage therapy

If you’re lifting heavy, it’s going to take a toll on your muscles. It’s one reasons rest days, nutrition, and hydration are so important. But sometimes those are not enough to support muscle recovery between workouts. if you are experiencing muscle soreness or tightness days after a workout, massage therapy can help. can help with flexibility, too.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, researchers found that three minutes of massage therapy helped improve flexibility in tight hamstrings. The same technique can be used to improve flexibility for other muscles.

“This technique may prove beneficial and effective for athletic trainers, massage therapists and physical therapists who are looking for a modality that quickly and efficiently helps restore flexibility to tight musculature,” says lead researcher Dr Jeffrey Forman. the exercise-only group still had muscle soreness 24 hours after the workout.

When one of my clients isn’t making progress, I start looking at all the different variables that might be getting in the way.

The cause is usually linked to their workouts, nutrition, hydration, or stress.

But there’s another variable that comes up frequently that can prevent you from making gains: lack of sleep. When you’re sleeping, your body releases human growth hormone to help repair and rebuild muscle damage after working out using available protein.

But if you’re not getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night, you’re missing out on some of those benefits. Fortunately, research shows that massage therapy can improve sleep quality and duration, to help you recover after working out.