Are you the kind of person who works hard at your job and the gym every day all year long? Do you feel the effects of those intense workouts in your body, causing you to limp to the couch or your bed after?
Then you need to start discovering the benefits and advantages of massages, and more so, body massagers.
You know the feeling you have after getting a professional massage – you feel like boiled spaghetti, loose all over? Well, that feeling is highly helpful when you are stiff and sore after a jaw-breaking workout.
Read on to see how massages are beneficial for anyone who works out and is looking for quick muscle recovery.
Studies Prove That Massage Helps With Muscle Recovery
Everyone who’s gotten a massage post-workout knows how much it helps with the recovery process. But this study below proves it even further.
In a study done by a researcher at McMaster University in Canada, muscle biopsies were performed on young men after an intense workout both before and after the workout and after performing massage on one leg.
Interestingly enough, the study researcher discovered that massage was able to reduce exercise-related inflammation by turning off the activity of a particular protein.
Massage also spurred the production of new mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of cells, producing energy so that our cells can keep on going.
This was an important study in many ways because it proved that massage isn’t only a feel-good therapy, but has pertinent benefits with proven science behind it, towards optimizing human physiology.
Perhaps these kinds of studies will spur the addition of massage therapy into health plans more frequently. That would be ideal!
Some Ways a Full Body Massage Is Beneficial to the Human Body
There are many medical reasons you might get a massage.
For example, if you are the kind of person who spends all day long at a desk, leaning forward, typing away at a computer, a massage could help with those stiff shoulder and back muscles.
Like yoga, it could also help relax those tight, stiff muscles in the body that become like that after holding them in the same position for a long time. Like your neck after a long bout with the computer or video games.
Not only that but if you have a stressful job that drains the sap out of you every single day, a heavenly massage on the weekend made into a regular thing could help you with stress relief. It could help you feel sane again.
Also, in a world where physical touch and contact are becoming more limited, a massage is given by loving and kind hands can result in much psychological benefit.
In fact, we don’t get enough physical touch nowadays, and it’s called Touch Starvation. It’s quite debilitating for the human psyche.
How Massage Helps Post-Workout Recovery
There are some specific ways in which massage can help you when you have finished strenuous exercise or an intense gym session.
Research has shown that massage can help athletes and exercisers in the following ways:
- Promote relaxation
- Increase the range of motion
- Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise
- Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness
- Reduce swelling
- Help prevent injuries when massage is received regularly
- Improve soft tissue function
- And more
The great thing about massage is that the research on it is still limited, which means that there’s still a lot more to discover here.
Once the scientific community gets over their bias of massage as just an alternative therapy and starts doing proper research on it, many more beneficial effects of massage will surely be discovered.
For now, you will just have to rely upon your gut instinct to tell you how great it feels to get a massage after an intense workout. And keep going with that.
Making massages a regular part of your workout regimen is definitely a good start to enhancing your performance and helping your muscles recover faster and easier.
If You Can’t Afford Professional Massages, Body Massagers Are for You
Maybe you are convinced about the benefits of massages for muscle recovery, but you don’t think you could afford regular massages, especially since your insurance doesn’t really cover them.
No fear! That’s where body massagers come in. In fact, due to the increased demand, there are a wide variety of body massagers and massage guns that are available for you to use in the comfort of your home.
The great thing about massage guns or body massagers is that they provide instant relief from the pain. They also help with muscle energizing and increased muscle performance.
More on Massage Guns
Massage guns work on the principle of percussion therapy or vibrational therapy (both terms are used equally).
Through the vibrational effect, it can stimulate the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), and thus, results in instant pain relief.
If you are unsure of what kind of massage gun or body massager to choose, then Massage Gun Advice is a great website to check out.
They do comparisons, reviews, and more, all to help you decide on the right massage gun for you and your particular needs.
Once you invest in a massage gun or body massager, you will have it for life. No more making appointments with masseuses, or driving around on icy roads trying to get to an appointment.
You can get a massage whenever you want on your couch while watching your favorite shows. Bliss!
A Full Body Massage Can Help With Muscle Recovery
If you have been wondering whether to look into body massagers or not, think no more. Body massagers or handheld massagers are a great investment.
They will help you enhance muscle performance and reduce the amount of time you spend in recovery mode. Both of these means you can work out better and get stronger faster.
If you liked this article and found it useful, please check out the other articles on our website for related content.