Massage Post-Workout? Details:

 

Imagine, you just had a good workout the day prior. but, you are feeling the post-workout soreness beginning to accumulate. Massage is one of the first things that comes to mind! However, should you is your concern?

When your shoulders are feeling heavy and weighing you down, your legs don’t feel like they are carrying you as readily, and getting out of your chair takes more effort than you’d like. You think scheduling a massage may be a good idea.

For standard post workout soreness, massage may be an option. However, I don’t treat every massage the same, let alone a post-workout soreness person the same.

What you’re experiencing, when it began, and whether the symptoms you are experiencing sound like typical muscle soreness or something significant matter. This is why pre and post consultations matter and talking throughout appointments matter.

First Things First, Tell Me Why

Knowing the difference between your legs being sore from squatting as opposed to sharp stabbing sensations radiating down your hamstrings after your run and now walking hurts are 2 entirely different matters.

If you know your workout followed something out of your standard routine, like a different exercise, new hiking trail, or an extended hiatus from your standard workouts, all of these details matter.

Knowing the specifics of what happened out of the blue matter as well.

Have you fallen since I last saw you?

Have you had pain during your normal exercise regimen?

Has there been any swelling?

Do the sensations you are currently experiencing feel any different than what you normally experience?

These details matter more than telling me that “you’ve been sore.”

What’s Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness?

Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness, also referred to as DOMS, is the soreness that can accumulate after unfamiliar or demanding exercises. Granted, it won’t always appear after your workout. Granted, you can leave the gym feeling great, like a million bucks even! The next day can emit different sensations than the day beforehand.

Research has shown that massage is one of the recovery strategies for delayed-onset muscle soreness. Several methodical reviews have examined that massage may help reduce DOMS symptoms after vigorous exercise. While this doesn’t mean that massage is the “end all, cure all” to vigorous exercise. This doesn’t mean that massage will grant faster recovery, rather, just a piece of the puzzle added to evidence supporting massage as one possible strategy for managing how sore someone feels post-exercise.

Does Massage Have to Hurt Following Exercise?

You do not always have to hurt in a deep tissue massage. This is why communication is always critical as to how you session is going. If an area is already tender from a workout, applying the maximum pressure you can tolerate isn’t automatically more therapeutic.

I don’t use soreness as proof that massage is working.

Your massage can be adjusted.

That might mean changing pressure, changing technique, spending less time on a particularly sensitive area, or focusing elsewhere.

What feels appropriate when your body feels normal may not feel appropriate when you arrive after an unusually demanding workout.

What About Ashiatsu After a Hard Workout?

Ashiatsu allows me to use broad, controlled pressure with my feet while using overhead bars for balance and control. Some clients really enjoy that broader pressure. But booking Ashiatsu doesn’t mean I have to use the deepest pressure possible. Pressure can be adjusted. If your legs are extremely tender after a workout, for example, I want to know that before I start working deeply through them. Your session should respond to what your body is telling us that day rather than following a predetermined pressure level.

Soreness and Injury Are Not the Same Thing

This is one of the most important distinctions in this conversation. Massage therapists do not diagnose injuries. If you have sudden or severe pain, significant swelling, substantial bruising, an obvious deformity, inability to use or bear weight on an area, numbness, weakness, or symptoms following a significant injury, don’t assume you simply need a deeper massage. Those symptoms may warrant evaluation by an appropriate healthcare professional. If you’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing is ordinary workout soreness or an injury, tell me what happened before we begin. Sometimes the responsible decision is modifying the massage. Sometimes it may be postponing work on an area. Sometimes it may be recommending that you seek appropriate medical evaluation instead.

Do You Need to Wait Until All Soreness Is Gone?

Not necessarily. The fact that you’re sore doesn’t automatically mean you cannot receive massage. What matters is the context. If you’re experiencing ordinary muscle soreness after exercise and otherwise feel well, we can discuss how you’re feeling and adjust your massage accordingly. You also don’t need to prove how tough you are during the appointment. If pressure that normally feels great suddenly feels uncomfortable, tell me. I would much rather adjust the session than have you silently tolerate something because you think therapeutic massage is supposed to hurt.

Should You Work Out Again Right After Your Massage?

There isn’t one rule that applies to everyone. Personally, I prefer workouts after a massage because I feel things are moving easiest at this time. I definitely have a changed routine, but I feel like this is the best thing for me. I would hope you use your own best judgement for yourself. Consider what you just asked your body to do, how you’re feeling after the massage, and what you’re planning to do next. A normal walk and an intense lower-body training session are not the same thing. Neither are gentle mobility work and attempting a personal record at the gym. If you’re already significantly sore, your body may be giving you useful information about how much activity feels appropriate that day. You don’t need to turn recovery into another competition.

Tell Me What You Did Before Your Appointment You don’t need to know the names of every muscle you exercised.

Tell me: What activity you did

When you did it Where you’re sore

Whether the soreness appeared gradually or suddenly

Whether anything unusual happened during the activity

Whether movement makes it better or worse

Whether this feels like soreness you’ve experienced before

What you want from today’s massage That information helps me make better decisions about your session.

Massage Should Be Adaptable

One of the reasons I don’t believe in giving every client the exact same massage is that you’re not the exact same person every time you walk through my door. Maybe last time you came in after a relatively quiet week. This time you spent Saturday hiking. Next time you may have increased the weight you’re lifting at the gym. Your massage can change with you. The goal isn’t to force your body through the session we originally imagined. The goal is to communicate about what you’re experiencing and make thoughtful decisions about the massage you’re receiving today.

Therapeutic Massage in Colorado Springs

At Inspire Movements Massage Therapy, I work with active adults as well as people simply trying to feel more comfortable in their everyday lives. If you’re sore from a workout, hike, run, or other activity, tell me what’s going on before we begin. We can talk about what you’re experiencing, what you’re hoping to get from your massage, and whether the session needs to be adjusted.

About Jessica Deardorff, LMT

Jessica Deardorff is the owner of Inspire Movements Massage Therapy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has practiced massage therapy since 2016 and holds an active Colorado massage therapist license, MT.0021143. Her areas of focus include low back pain, sciatica support, headaches and migraines, mobility-focused massage, therapeutic Ashiatsu, and cupping therapy. Jessica’s approach emphasizes individualized therapeutic massage, communication, and adapting each session around the person receiving it.

Sources and Further Reading

Effect of Massage on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, Swelling, and Recovery of Muscle Function Journal of Athletic Training – available through PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Educational disclaimer: This article provides general educational information and is not medical advice or a diagnosis.

Massage therapy does not replace evaluation or treatment from an appropriate healthcare professional.