How Deep Tissue Massage Can Enhance Your Workout Routine

When most people think of massage therapy, what likely comes to mind is a relaxing spa treatment aimed at reducing stress: the kind of treatment you get when you want to be pampered after a long work week.

And while this can be true, it’s not a complete description of what massage therapy is, or what it can offer. There are different types of massage that have more benefits than most people realize. And one of the most beneficial types is deep tissue massage.

So here, we’re going to talk about deep tissue massage, and one of its biggest benefits — how it can enhance your workout routine. Let’s get started!

What is a deep tissue massage?

First, let’s define what it is. Deep tissue massage is a type of massage therapy that focuses on increasing circulation and decreasing pain and tension in specific muscle areas. 

People often pit massage types against each other, such as Swedish massage vs deep tissue. This is unnecessary — both types offer their own value. Swedish massage is a full-body massage that focuses on inducing relaxation and thereby reducing stress. It’s essentially a relaxation massage. Deep tissue, on the other hand, is a form of physical therapy that targets aches, pains, tightness, and contractions in the muscles and fascia, i.e the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles.

Deep tissue massage is often used to target specific ailments, most commonly injury rehabilitation and chronic pain. But it can also be used to treat muscle tension, osteoarthritis pain, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, lower/upper back pain, and fibromyalgia.

A deep tissue massage is a great option for people dealing with pain from old injuries, such as whiplash or a bad fall, sports-related injuries, or repetitive strain. Repetitive strain injuries are usually caused by repeated motions, like shoulder pain from using a mouse, or back pain from consistently poor posture.

The relationship between massage therapy and working out

Massage, and deep tissue massage in particular, can have a beneficial impact on your exercise routine. It can be very helpful both in dealing with the aftereffects of an intense workout session, and in preparing you for more productive and optimized sessions in the future. Here are some of the major benefits of massage for your fitness routine:

Prevents injury

Deep tissue massage doesn’t just help to treat injuries, it can also help to prevent them. It works by breaking down the adhesions that cause pain and tightness and limit your range of motion. When adhesions restrict your movement, this can eventually lead to muscle damage during intensive activities like exercise.

Massage can break up these adhesions by applying pressure to your muscles and increasing the temperature of collagen fibers. In the long run, this will drastically reduce your likelihood of exercise-related strain and injury.

Aids strain and injury recovery

If you do experience an injury or muscle strain after a workout session, it can mean longer periods in between workout sessions, and can make your exercise routine less effective. Thankfully, deep tissue massage can help relieve these issues.

It does this by encouraging circulation in your muscles, which allows nutrients and oxygen to reach the affected tissue, accelerating the healing of your injuries. Massage can also release the tension and tightness in your muscles that occur through strain and overtraining. Overall, deep tissue massage will get you back on your feet and back to the gym sooner.

Relaxation

To avoid overtraining your muscles during a workout, you need time to relax and recover after a lengthy fitness session. A deep tissue massage is a great way to get the relaxing effects of a typical Swedish massage while still reaping the benefits mentioned above. Deep tissue massage eases muscle tension and soothes your nervous system.

By helping your muscles rest and repair quicker, massage therapy between workouts will also ensure that you can build muscle effectively in every session.

If you want to wind down with a deep tissue massage, our team at Dcompress Downtown is here to help. Located in downtown San Diego, we offer a variety of therapeutic treatments. And what’s more, once you’ve signed up on our website and provided your name, email, and phone number, you’ll receive $20 off your first massage or facial!

You can call us at 619.940.7556 or book your first appointment today.