How Long Should I Wait to Exercise After a Massage and Bodywork Session?
Much like exercise, massage and bodywork are essential parts of many people’s health routines. Embracing the rejuvenation of massage and bodywork balances the exertion a body goes through during athletic activity. However, exercise mustn’t take place in the hours immediately following your LMM appointment!
After a massage, you should wait at least 24 hours before doing any strenuous exercise. If you do perform exercise within this timeframe, you could ruin the benefits you got from your massage.
Why You Should Wait 24 Hours After A Massage
After a massage, we recommend that you wait at least a full day before performing any strenuous exercise. This is because of how the massage affects joints and tissues: the sustained pressure from a massage on connective tissue makes it softer through something called the “thixotropic effect.” Your tissue will be in this gel-like state for 24 hours, and in that time, you should relax.
Exercise in the hours following your massage or bodywork session can offset the benefits of the appointment. If you do strenuous exercise after a session, you are likely to feel an increase in muscle soreness – almost as if the massage never happened. You may even pull the tissue into different strain patterns, causing new injuries.
We should note that not all exercise is off-limits. “Strenuous” exercise includes running, weight lifting, high-intensity aerobics, power yoga, and more. However, light exercise such as walking, gentle stretching, or easy swimming, are okay for most healthy people. But if you want to kick back and relax, the first 24 hours after your appointment with LMMT is a great time to do it!
How To Handle The 24 Hours After A Massage
Rather than exercise, use the time after your massage to enjoy the relaxing, rejuvenating benefits. Run a hot bath with Epsom salts, drink your favourite calming tea, and put away your phone or device – all this can facilitate sleep and reduce the stress that contributes to muscle soreness and tension. If you do bodywork, stay hydrated to reduce any related soreness. We would adjust these recommendations based on your needs, but the suggestion is to fit in some relaxation in a way that works for you!
You may find it hard to postpone your exercise routine. If so, try to fit your workout in before the massage appointment rather than after it. Because LMM comes to you, you can book a massage or bodywork session that works around your schedule. Besides, there are many benefits to receiving a massage immediately following a workout! It can reduce inflammation and speed up the recovery time.
One of the reasons people book at-home massage appointments with London Mobile Massage is to reduce the soreness and tension keeping them from feeling their best. It’s wise to let the massage do its work without stressing it further with strenuous activity!
