Should you feel sore after your work out and how massage can help

Pain is subjective, no questions about it, but how much pain is normal ? By definition we need to extend our capacity to grow (both in real life and in muscular terms) , so how much is too much?  Brandi Schlossberg of Massage Magazine has a great take on this: Read on to find out how massage can be the answer to your aches and pains!

From the most experienced athlete to the stereotypical couch potato, nearly every person is vulnerable to getting sore. The difference is, a couch potato would most likely become extremely sore if he simply started jumping rope or stacking boxes for 10 minutes per day, whereas the experienced athlete would probably not become sore unless he engaged in long and strenuous activity.

Fortunately, no matter where your fitness level may be on this spectrum from sedentary to extremely active, there are ways of dealing with a sore body that will allow you to get back out there and participate in your fitness. One of the best methods for dealing with the physical aches and pains that are often induced through fitness is to schedule an appointment with a massage therapist.

What is important to remember here is that if you do not take steps to deal with the soreness that comes along as an aftermath of challenging fitness activities, then you will be forced to either sit on the sidelines until your body recovers or go ahead and participate in the fitness event while risking reduced performance or possibly even injury. This should make clear the value of massage therapy when it comes to reaching one’s fitness goals in the most healthy manner possible.

We can take a closer look at the dynamic between physical fitness and massage therapy by creating a hypothetical scenario. For this example, imagine a man who is not quite a complete couch potato, but who has never exercised on a regular basis. Now, if this person decides he wants to get in shape for the summer, he may sign up with a personal trainer or go online and create his own intense fitness program.

Within the first few days, chances are high that this fitness newbie will feel some pain in his muscles and joints. In the scientific world, this is often known as delayed onset muscle soreness, as it usually takes around two days to set in and create those acute aches and pains. On that third day, when this man wakes up and wishes to knock out his fitness routine, those sore muscles might make him think twice. Even if he does manage to make it into the gym, chances are high that he will not be able to perform optimally.

However, by viewing massage therapy as a component of physical fitness that is just as important as intense training, the man in our example could be well on his way to achieving his summer fitness goals. By building a massage therapy session into his weekly fitness routine, this man could help alleviate the acute aches and pains in his body, thereby helping him to fully engage in his fitness routine without needing to sit on the sidelines for nearly as long.

Remember, this same dynamic between massage therapy and fitness not only applies to those who are new to the world of fitness, but also to the most experienced athletes, who are also vulnerable to muscle soreness.