Massage to Help Your Workout

There are so many benefits of massage therapy, I hardly know where to begin blogging about them. I am starting with the benefits of massage therapy as an additive to a workout program because I think it's a benefit that a lot of people are aware of without really know why it's beneficial.

To understand how massage therapy can help your workout, it's helpful to understand the basic structure of your muscular system. When you think of your muscles, don't think of them as solid entities. Muscles are made up of lots of muscle fibers, or strands of muscle tissue. I describe them as a handful of uncooked spaghetti. When muscles contract, the muscle fibers slide alongside each other, pulling together to move your bones. In order for a muscle to extend, its opposing muscle needs to contract.

Knots, or adhesions, occur in the musculature for many reasons, the top being trauma or repetitive action. These adhesions bind the muscle fibers together, not allowing them to separate when the muscle extends. Adhesions in the musculature are like drops of glue on a rubber band, they stop movement and create tension on the areas around the adhesion. The areas around the knots become tense and strained, eventually causing pain and spasms. Furthermore, they keep the muscle at a shortened length, not allowing it to extend to its farthest resting length.

There are several techniques that a massage therapist can use to remove knots, or adhesions, from your muscles, depending on the therapist's training, experience and theories on massage therapy. However, once these knots are removed from your muscle structure, your muscle fibers are free to extend to their full resting length and contract through their full range of motion. This is a HUGE help during a workout. When your muscles move from a healthy resting length through their full range of motion, they are stronger and more powerful. Your workout will be more effective and you will build healthier, leaner and more powerful muscles than you could have otherwise.

It is important to remove these knots, or adhesions, from your musculature on a regular basis when you are engaged in a workout or strength training program in order to get the most out of your workouts and accomplish your fitness goals. You will feel a difference. Count on it.