Is it ok to work after a full body massage?

(January 17, 2013)

During a full body massage, the therapist reaches deep into the muscle tissue, giving your muscles a different type of workout. Many people experience soreness after a full body massage, similar to the feeling of soreness one feels after a strenuous workout. Exercising or performing any kind of physical labor immediately after a full body massage can exacerbate this soreness and negate the effects of the massage by not allowing time for your muscles to return to a normal state. For this reason it is advisable to avoid any kind of physical activity immediately after a full body massage.

Avoid Heavy Work

Strenuous physical activity performed immediately after a full body massage may end up damaging your muscles, thereby negating the effects of the massage. This happens due to the tendency of the body’s muscles and connective tissue to become increasingly soft and malleable during a massage.

Known as the thixotropic effect, it accounts for the loose and limber feeling one experiences after a full body massage. The relaxed state of the muscles after such a massage makes it easier to strain or damage them while performing any physical activity after a massage. Straining your muscles may also result in new areas of stress within the muscles, known as trigger points. Heavy work after a massage can lead to an inflammation of these trigger points, landing you right back on the therapist’s table. If you must work after a full body massage, keep it light. Walking at a moderate pace or any mild physical activity is all right.

What is a Safe Interval?

Ideally, you should wait for a 24 hour period before trying any kind of strenuous work. This gives your muscles adequate time to return to their normal state. It also allows muscles that may have been damaged during the massage, time to heal.

Submitted by S C on January 17, 2013 at 03:11