Exercise – some of us love it, some of us hate it. Whichever side of the fence you stand on, the fact is that everyone needs exercise. According to the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines released in 2008, some activity is better than none. The guidelines go on to state that all adults should participate in a moderate dose of physical activity (the goal being 150 minutes weekly); children and adolescents should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.

With all this exercise improving your body’s health, it is important to balance your activity level with massage therapy to get the most out of your exercise. Although massage and physical activity may seem like separate categories, massage has been shown to offer a wide variety of benefits for those with an exercise routine, such as:

  • Increased range of motion
  • Reduced muscle tension
  • Improved soft tissue function
  • Improved exercise performance
  • Enhanced athletic performance
  • Decreased muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise
  • Reduced swelling
  • Reduced breathing pattern disorders
  • Increased relaxation
  • Decreased delayed onset muscle soreness
  • Reduced serum creatine kinase post exercise
  • Assisted recovery of heart rate variability and diastolic blood pressure after high-intensity exercise
  • Prevention of injuries

Whether you prefer to hit the gym or take your exercise outside, whether you just like to walk around the block or are a professional athlete, massage therapy can benefit anyone who has some sort of exercise routine. It can help improve your performance and conditioning, prevent injuries, and maintain your ability to achieve your peak fitness levels. Why not take your exercise routine to the next level by incorporating regular massage therapy into your health and wellness?

For those who exercise, sports massage therapy is often the therapy of choice.