Fitness-related Benefits of Massage


Ask someone their reason for getting a massage and you're likely to hear "because it feels good". We all know that a massage can relieve stress, help to make sore muscles feel better and even reduce anxiety, but can it help us achieve our fitness goals? Research shows that the massage you get to relieve stress can also have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness level.

1. Massage improves circulation and general nutrition of muscles. This appears to be the most valuable fitness-related benefit. Massage is accompanied or followed by an increase interchange of substances between the blood the tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After a muscle is exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied in order for it to increase in size. Massage maximizes the supply of nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the body rebuild itself.

2. Massage improves the range of motion and muscle flexibility. This results in increased power and performance, which helps you work efficiently and with proper intensity to facilitate the body's muscle-building response.

3. Massage helps to shorten recovery time between workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles help to eliminate toxic debris and shorten recovery time.

4. Massage can help prevent over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles, as well as a sedative effect on the nervous system. This can prevent over-training syndrome which has limiting effect on muscle building.

5. Massage may aid in fat loss. According to some research, massage may burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition, massage may help in weight loss.

6. Massage helps prevent and even heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) necessary for tissue repair.

While a massage won't build muscle directly, it helps to facilitate the body's rebuilding phase following a workout and influences muscular growth. Getting a massage is just as important as regular workouts and supportive nutrition for a comprehensive fitness program. Great news for those of us who thought building a great body was all hard work!

Before making an appointment with the first massage therapist you encounter, however, be sure they are a qualified bodywork practitioner. Ask for referrals, professional training information, and certification credentials from a reputable agency, such as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).

About The Author

Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a Chicago personal trainer and fitness instructor who specializes in helping people get in shape in the privacy and convenience of their home or office. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor and editor of the fitness ezine "Inspired Informed and Inshape."


More Resources

Ayurveda - The Natural Remedy
The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words ayur and veda meaning 'life' and 'knowledge' respectively. Taken together they mean the 'science of life'; in a more limited sense, the term is used to imply the science of medicine.
Quit Smoking With Nature's Help
Smoking is very dangerous to your health. Most smokers feel that there is nothing that they haven't tried in order to quit.
The Honeybush Miracle
Perhaps a little eclipsed by the world-wide success of Rooibos, another natural South African health tea, Honeybush; is finally getting the attention it deserves.Honeybush tea ( botanical name: Cyclopia intermedia ) grows along mountain slopes in the Cedarberg and Langkloof area, and has a naturally sweet, almost honey-like taste.
Bring Peace and Serenity to Your Life Through Hypnosis!
Hypnosis: It happens to everyone, young and old, in everyday life and on special occasions. It is a state of being fully absorbed and attentive to such a degree that occurrences in the outside world become less important.
Healing Heartburn Holistically
Everyone at some point in time has experienced some form of heartburn. Often, what we notice is a bitter, sour or acid taste in our mouths.
The Benefits of Drinking Mangosteen (XanGo)
Benefits of Drinking XanGo:The Mangosteen fruit (XanGo's main ingredient) is unique because of its antioxidants and Xanthones. 43 Xanthones have been found thus far in the Mangosteen.
When Your Emotions Become Like Ticking Bombs & Cause Disease
So, where does disease come from? How does it get manifested in your body in the first place? Do environment and diet really play key roles in causing disease? Well, the information contained in this article will shock you to say the least. For years now health officials have told the public about how diet and environment specifically contribute to most illnesses.
Relieving Chronic Pain Through Visualizations: A Three-Part Strategy
The most effective way to use the subconscious for pain relief seems to be to encourage it to attack the pain process from three different directions. Here's a recap that you may be able to use to help build an effective strategy for easing your pain.
New Age Torture
I'll admit it ..
Strong Drugstore Laxatives - Use With Caution
Osmotic chemicals - Saline CartherticsThese chemicals are salts and other compounds that activate secretions of water from your colon walls and into your colon, which are absorbed by the fecal matter. This softens the fecal matter and promotes a bowel movement.
An Udderly Ricidulous Home Remedy
Home Remedies - Facts or Quacks?That's what I recently asked myself. Myths and legends often have their basis in a grain of truth.
More Fruit Constipation Remedies Part II
Here are some more constipation remedies using fruits. Try to get your organic fruits and eat them as soon as possible.
Once You Discover and Act on This 'Secret' to Health and Energy, You May be Changed for the Better
I discovered something completely, 100% amazing about 5 years ago. The first thing it did for me health- wise was get rid of my back problem to the point that I no longer needed the chiropractic treatment that I would get once or twice per month.
Toddler Stuttering
Some parents have the shock of hearing their young child start to stutter as a toddler. I am somebody who runs a speech centre in Birmingham, England, I now help people to achieve fluency.
Five Simple Steps For Treating Heel Pain
If you experience a sharp pain in your heel at the first step in the morning, chances are you have plantar fasciitis (plan * tar fash* ee * I * tis). "Plantar" means the bottom of the foot.
Tap Away Your Fears
In my workshops we use energy techniques that involve tapping with your fingers on the ends of the energy meridians on your face, upper body, and hands. I would like to tell you why we do.
Bladder Infections
"If you let that fiery wise blood just sit there in your belly, great granddaughter," admonishes Grandmother Growth, "you'll get the urge to quench that heat. You'll get a tickle, a twinge, an urgent call.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine, also referred to as Herbalism or Botanical Medicine, is the oldest healthcare known to mankind. Herbal medicine is the utilization of herbs for therapy or medicinal purposes.
Air Purifiers And Air Filters Can Help The Health Of Allergy And Asthma Sufferers
Indoor air pollution in the form of dander, dust and pollen particulate matter can be a real irritant for suffers of asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. In addition to removal of all direct irritant sources and minimizing the irritant containment materials in your house, you should also consider the indoor ventilation and filtration system of home.
Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology
Aromatherapy originated in Ancient Egypt. About a hundred years ago, a pharmacist from France used an innovative method which led to a breakthrough in aromatherapy techniques.

More Alternative Information:

Related Articles

Why DO the Japanese Have the Longest Lifespan? Part 2: Live the Lifestyle
Why do the Japanese have the longest lifespan? Last month you learned to eat the things Japanese people eat, and now you will learn how to live like they live. Fast, long, and lively best describes a usual day in Japan.
Are You Suffering From Chronic Constipation?
Embarrassing as it may be, we have all suffered from constipation at one time in our life or another. According to the National Health Interview Survey as many as 3 million Americans suffer from frequent if not chronic constipation.
Bling Therapy - Healing with Gemstones
From jeweled necklaces to ankle bracelets, and all the tops and bottoms in between, we suddenly see Bling on every one and every thing! You instinctively knew that something about diamonds and rubies made you feel good when you first saw them sparkle on your friends, and they made you feel even better when they were shining on you.However, did you know that many of the gemstones we have come to know and love as Bling could actually heal you both physically and emotionally? Yes, now you can justify owning gems in every color because more and more evidence is surfacing that they can actually heal you.
Stopping Colds in Their Tracks
We all know the nasty sensation of coming down with a cold: when you feel like your head is stopped up, when your nose is constantly running, and when nothing tastes right.Most of what we call colds are technically known rhinitis, and are caused by various micro-organisms settling on nasal or throat surfaces, and the body's reacting to them.
Healing Waters of California
Back in the late 1800's the railroad came to life. Track was laid from one end of the country to the other, creating a method of transportation that the average citizen could use to get to the west coast.
MSM: Enhance Your Overall Beauty, Your Hair, Nails, And Skin While Reducing Allergic Reactions
Welcome to another exciting issue of "The Home Made Medicine e-zine".This time you are going to be blown away by the article I'm about to put in your hands, if you are really serious about your health, you will jump and run to your health store as soon as you finish reading this piece.
Pendulum Dowsing: Easy To Learn Techniques
Pendulum Dowsing is a very fun and simple way to begin to measure energy fields. Since we all live in a world that is comprised of energy, and since we all have energy in and around our physical bodies, the ability to recognize and measure energy can be valuable and useful.
How To Rid Your Home Of The Nations #1 Health Menace
With today's new building procedures, our homes are more dangerous than ever before!Scientific evidence now shows that the air inside our homes is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. And because we spend about 90 percent of our time inside, indoor air quality has become one of the top environmental health threats in the country.
Some Tips on Stopping Smoking
Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking? And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman so be ready to get external help if you need it.
Herbal and Home Remedies that Prevent Memory Loss
Even a single family member who is senile or afflicted with Alzheimer's is enough to make anyone dread the possibility. Since women have always lived longer than men, the Ancient Grandmothers have a thing or two to tell us about how to keep our memory sharp until the day we die (at 100+).
Constipation Relieved Naturally
Constipation is a problem that affects many Americans every day. Constipation is mainly due to poor eating habits, insufficient exercise, not getting enough fiber and not drinking enough water.
How Pain Relief Visualization Statements Work
Visualization statements represent the specific language that your subconscious wants you to read back to it to help ease your pain. They're simple and are targeted directly at the main factors that could bring you relief.
Aromatherapy for the Mind, Body, and Spirit - Sandalwood Essential Oil
For over 4000 years, the Sandalwood tree has played a significant part in Eastern culture as a material for art and artifacts, a medicine, and a divine aroma. Sandalwood products are obtained from the sandalwood tree (Santalum album), which is a member of the Santalaceae family native to southern tropical Asia.
10 Essential Food Safety Tips For AIDS Sufferers
Persons with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) areespecially susceptible to illness from food-borne pathogens.Because they're at higher risk for severe illness or death,affected persons must be vigilant when handling and cookingfoods.
Hypnosis
HYPNOSIS is a state of induced but conscious sleep through the process of suggestion. Hypnosis must be readily accepted by the subject in order for the hypnosis to be achieved.
Herbs and Essential Oils - Powerful Medicine
We can find many beneficial uses for natural herbs and their essential oils in our lives. The essential oils contain the concentrated part of the herb.
Essential Oils Are Essential For Our Time
What is "it"? Oils-Pure Essential Oils. Frankincense and Myrrh, for Christ's birth; Christ anointed with oils for healing.
Is Heat or Ice Better for Arthritis Pain?
You probably know that applying heat or ice to a painful joint can help relieve pain, but have questions about these simple techniques. Which one? Why? How often? How long?The only time you must choose "ice" is during the first 48 hours after a sudden injury or surgery.
A Morning Smoothie to Help You Stop Constipation
Chronic constipation can be hard to stop or elimination, since the colon have become weak. In most cases it will have to be retrained on how to have a bowel movement.
Mental Health Maintenance Is Made Simple
Your mental health is often drastically improved when you use the techniques Dr. Kuhn teaches in this article.