Many people wonder if they can exercise after getting a massage. Yes, you can often exercise after a massage. But it’s best to be careful. What kind of exercise you do matters a lot. Also, how hard your massage was is important. Sometimes, exercising the same day after massage is okay. Other times, it’s not wise. This guide tells you what you need to know.
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How Massage Changes Your Body
Massage is more than just feeling good. It does things inside your body. It works on your muscles. It helps your blood move around better. Knowing how massage affects you helps you know what to do next.
Relaxing Muscles
One big thing massage does is help your muscles relax. Muscles can get tight. They can get knots in them. Massage helps loosen these up. It helps the muscle fibers let go of tension. This makes you feel more relaxed. Your muscles feel less stiff.
Boosting Blood Flow
Massage also helps blood flow better. When a therapist rubs or presses muscles, it can help move blood. More blood flow means more oxygen and food get to your muscles. It also helps carry away waste products. This can help your muscles feel better.
Different Kinds of Massage
Not all massages are the same. They work on your body in different ways.
- Light Massage: Think of Swedish massage. It uses gentle strokes. It aims to relax you. It helps blood flow. It usually doesn’t work muscles very deeply.
- Deep Tissue Massage: This massage is much stronger. The therapist uses more pressure. They work on deeper muscle layers. They try to break up knots or tight spots. This kind of massage can cause more changes in your muscles. Exercise after deep tissue massage needs extra care.
- Sports Massage: This is often for people who are active. It might mix deep tissue work with stretching. It can be done before or after sports. Doing it after a big event is different from getting it before.
Why Exercising Right Away Might Not Be Good
Your body feels different after a massage. It’s relaxed. Maybe a little sore. Jumping into a hard workout might not be the best move. There are a few reasons why.
Feeling Too Relaxed
Massage makes you feel loose. This is nice. But it means your muscles are very relaxed. Your joints might feel looser too. If you try to lift something heavy or make quick moves, your body might not be as stable as usual. This could raise the chance of a small injury.
Muscles Might Be Tender
After a massage, especially deep tissue, muscles might feel tender or sensitive. The therapist worked hard on them. Pushing these muscles right away with intense exercise can make the soreness worse. It might even hurt them more. Think of it like working on a car engine. You don’t push it hard right after a big repair.
Risk of Doing Too Much
Massage can make you feel good. Sometimes you feel like you can do anything. But your body might not be ready for a lot of stress. It’s easy to push too hard in your workout. This is because you feel relaxed and might not notice the usual warning signs your body gives.
How Long Should You Wait?
This is a big question. How long to wait to exercise after massage depends on a few things.
- The Type of Massage: A light massage might need less waiting time than a deep one.
- The Intensity of Your Workout: A walk is different from lifting heavy weights.
- How Your Body Feels: Listen to your body. If you feel tired or sore, wait longer.
There’s no single rule for everyone. But here are some general ideas:
After a Light Massage (Like Swedish)
- Right Away: Probably not ideal. Give your body maybe 30 minutes to an hour to just rest and feel the effects.
- A Few Hours Later: Light exercise after massage might be okay. A gentle walk. Light stretching. Maybe gentle yoga. Exercising same day after massage can work here. Keep it easy.
- Later the Same Day: If you feel good, maybe a slightly more active exercise. But still, don’t go all out. Avoid your hardest workout.
- Next Day: Most people feel fine to return to their normal exercise routine the next day after a light massage.
After a Deep Tissue Massage
- Right Away: Definitely not. Deep tissue massage works your muscles hard. They need time to recover.
- A Few Hours Later: Still not a good idea. Your muscles are still reacting to the work.
- Later the Same Day: Avoid intense workout after massage like deep tissue. Even light exercise might feel strange or uncomfortable. It’s usually better to rest. Exercising same day after massage after deep tissue is generally not recommended.
- Next Day: Maybe light exercise if you feel okay. A walk. Gentle stretching. But don’t push it. You might still have muscle soreness after massage.
- Rest Day After Massage: Often, taking a rest day after a deep tissue massage is the best plan. This lets your muscles heal and get the full benefits of the massage. Many experts suggest waiting 24-48 hours before doing hard exercise after deep tissue work.
Table: Waiting Times Guide
Here is a simple guide for how long to wait. Remember to always listen to your body.
| Type of Massage | Type of Exercise | Recommended Wait Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (Swedish) | Very Light (Gentle walk) | 1-2 hours | If you feel ready, listen to your body. |
| Light (Swedish) | Light (Yoga, easy bike) | 3-6 hours or later same day | Keep it easy, don’t push hard. |
| Light (Swedish) | Moderate/Intense | Next Day (24 hours) | Let your body fully recover. |
| Deep Tissue | Very Light (Gentle walk) | 6-12 hours (if feeling good) | Still better to wait longer if possible. |
| Deep Tissue | Light | Next Day (24 hours) | Assess soreness, keep it easy. |
| Deep Tissue | Moderate/Intense | 24-48 hours (1-2 rest days) | Gives muscles time to recover and heal. |
This table is a general guide. Your body is unique. Pay attention to its signals.
Which Kinds of Exercise Are Okay?
The type of exercise you plan to do is a big factor. Some activities are much better than others after a massage.
Light Exercise After Massage
This is often the safest option if you want to move. What counts as light exercise?
- Gentle Walking: A relaxed walk around your neighborhood. Not power walking or hiking uphill. Just moving your legs easily.
- Light Stretching: Gentle movements to keep your muscles flexible. Don’t force anything. Don’t do deep holds or painful stretches.
- Easy Cycling: Riding a bike on a flat path at a slow pace. Not trying to break speed records.
- Slow Swimming: Easy laps without trying to swim fast. The water can feel good on your muscles.
- Gentle Yoga or Tai Chi: Focus on slow moves and breathing. Avoid poses that put a lot of stress on newly worked muscles.
Light exercise can sometimes feel good after a massage. It can help keep blood flowing. It can help you feel less stiff. But if it hurts, stop.
Intense Workout After Massage
This is usually not a good idea. Intense workouts put a lot of stress on your body.
- Heavy Weight Lifting: Can you lift weights after a massage? Generally, no, not heavy ones. Lifting weights creates small tears in muscle fibers. This is how muscles grow stronger. But after a massage, especially deep tissue, your muscles are already adjusting. Adding more stress can cause too much damage. It can lead to more pain or injury.
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): These workouts are very hard. They involve quick bursts of activity. This is too much for a body that is relaxed and possibly tender from a massage.
- Long Distance Running: Running after massage can be hard on your body. It involves repetitive impact. Your relaxed muscles might not support your joints as well. This could lead to aches or pain. If you had leg or back massage, running might feel very bad.
- Competitive Sports: Playing a sport that requires quick moves, jumps, or contact is risky. Your reaction time might be slower. Your muscles might not be as ready for explosive action.
Avoid pushing your body to its limits right after a massage. It defeats the purpose of getting the massage in the first place, which is often to help your body recover or work better over time.
Why Drinking Water Helps
Hydrate after massage. You will hear this often from massage therapists. There is a good reason for it.
Massage helps move fluid through your body’s tissues. It can help release waste products that build up in muscles. These waste products need to leave your body. Drinking water helps your body flush them out.
Think of your body like a river. The massage stirs up the riverbed. Drinking water is like adding more flow to the river. It helps carry the stirred-up stuff away.
If you don’t drink enough water, these waste products might just sit there. This can make you feel tired or even more sore. Hydrating well helps your muscles stay happy and recover better. It also helps prevent headaches that some people get after massage.
So, drink plenty of water before and after your massage. Keep sipping water through the rest of your day.
Listen to Your Body
This is the most important piece of advice. Nobody knows your body as well as you do.
- Pay Attention to Signals: After a massage, notice how your muscles feel. Are they sore? Are they loose? Do you feel energized or tired?
- Don’t Push Through Pain: If you try some light movement and feel pain, stop. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong. It’s not just “good pain” from working out. It could be a sign you are pushing too hard too soon.
- Adjust Your Plan: Maybe you planned to do a light exercise after massage. But you feel more tired or sore than you thought you would. It’s okay to change your plan. Choose rest instead. Taking a rest day after massage, especially a deep tissue one, is often the smart choice.
- Compare to Normal: How does this feeling compare to how you normally feel after a workout? If it feels different in a bad way, take it easy.
Your therapist might give you advice. “Take it easy today.” “Drink lots of water.” Follow their guidance. They just worked on your body and have a good idea of its state.
Different Massages, Different Rules Apply
As we touched on before, the type of massage really changes the rules for exercise.
Exercise After Deep Tissue Massage
This type of massage aims to work out deep knots and chronic muscle tension. It can be quite intense. It might even feel uncomfortable or slightly painful during the massage. It’s very common to feel muscle soreness after massage, particularly deep tissue work.
Why is exercise different here?
- Micro-Trauma: Deep tissue work can cause tiny bits of stress or change in the muscle tissue as it breaks up knots. This is part of the healing process. Your body needs time to repair this. Exercising hard adds more stress before the first stress is healed.
- Inflammation: Deep tissue work can create a little inflammation as the body starts to repair. This is normal. Hard exercise also causes inflammation. Putting the two together can be too much.
- Increased Soreness: Pushing muscles that are already recovering from deep work will likely make them much more sore the next day. This can slow down your overall recovery.
For exercise after deep tissue massage, a rest day after massage is highly recommended. Give it 24-48 hours before doing anything more than very light movement. If you feel significant muscle soreness after massage, wait even longer.
Exercise After Other Massages
- Sports Massage (Pre-Event): This massage is meant to get your muscles ready for action. It’s usually faster, more stimulating, and less focused on deep knots. Exercise (your event!) is the goal. But even here, don’t go straight from the table to the starting line. Give your body a little time to feel ready.
- Sports Massage (Post-Event): This helps muscles recover. It’s often lighter than pre-event. Light movement like a cool-down walk might be okay soon after. But don’t jump into another hard workout.
- Relaxation Massage (Like Swedish): As discussed, light exercise after massage is often okay a few hours later. The goal here is just to relax, so don’t do anything that undoes that feeling.
- Other Types (Thai, Shiatsu, etc.): These have different techniques. Thai massage involves stretching; you might feel very loose. Shiatsu uses pressure points. Always ask your therapist for advice specific to the type of massage you received.
Fitting Massage into Your Routine
To get the most out of both massage and exercise, think about when you schedule your massage.
- Avoid Massages Right Before Big Events: Don’t get a deep tissue massage the day before a race, a big game, or your heaviest lifting day of the week. Your body might feel too relaxed or too sore.
- Schedule on a Rest Day: A great time for a massage is on a planned rest day. This way, your body can focus on recovering and getting the benefits of the massage without the added stress of exercise. This aligns with the idea of a rest day after massage being beneficial.
- Schedule After a Hard Workout (Carefully): Some people like massage after a very hard training session. This can help with recovery. But still, take it easy afterward. The hard workout plus the massage means your body needs extra rest. Don’t plan another tough workout for the next day.
- Listen to Your Training Cycle: If you are in a hard training phase, lighter massages might be better. Save deep tissue for a time when you have a planned break or taper.
Planning helps you get the best from both worlds – the muscle health benefits of massage and the fitness gains from exercise.
When Not to Exercise at All
Sometimes, no exercise after a massage is the right answer.
- Significant Pain: If the massage itself was painful, or if you have a lot of muscle soreness after massage that feels more than just a little tender, do not exercise. Wait until the pain is gone.
- Feeling Sick: Massage can sometimes make you feel tired or like you have a mild cold (this is rare but can happen). If you feel unwell after a massage, rest is key, not exercise.
- Fever: Never exercise if you have a fever.
- Bruising: If the massage caused bruising, avoid exercising the bruised area until it heals.
- Specific Health Issues: If you have certain health conditions, or if your massage was part of treatment for an injury, your therapist or doctor might give you specific instructions about exercise. Follow their advice carefully.
When in doubt, rest is always a safe bet. You won’t lose fitness by taking an extra day off, but you could set yourself back by pushing too hard too soon.
Putting It All Together
So, can you exercise after a massage? Yes, often. But it’s not a simple yes or no. It requires thought and listening to your body.
- Type of Massage Matters: A deep tissue massage requires much more caution and likely a longer wait time than a light, relaxing massage.
- Type of Exercise Matters: Light activities like gentle walking or stretching are usually okay sooner than intense workouts like heavy lifting or hard running.
- Listen to Your Body: This is your best guide. If you feel sore, tired, or unstable, take it easy or rest. Don’t push through pain.
- Hydrate: Drink plenty of water after your massage to help your body recover.
- Plan Ahead: Try to schedule massages on rest days or after hard training, rather than right before key workouts or events. A rest day after massage is often wise.
Taking the time to recover properly after a massage helps you get the full benefits. It helps your muscles heal, reduces soreness, and gets your body ready for your next exercise session, but not immediately.
Questions People Ask
Here are some common questions about exercising after getting a massage.
Can you lift weights after a massage?
Generally, it is not recommended to lift heavy weights right after a massage. Especially after a deep tissue massage. Your muscles may be relaxed, tender, or still adjusting. Lifting weights puts a lot of stress on muscles. It could cause more soreness or even injury. Wait at least 24 hours, and maybe 48 hours after deep tissue work, before lifting weights again. Start lighter than usual to see how your body feels.
How long should I wait to run after massage?
It depends on the massage and your running. After a light massage, a very easy, short run might be okay after a few hours. After a deep tissue massage, running after massage is usually not a good idea for 24-48 hours. Running involves impact and repetitive motion. Your muscles might not handle this well right away, especially if they are sore from the massage. Listen to your legs and body; if they feel heavy, stiff, or sore, wait longer.
Is exercising same day after massage ever okay?
Yes, but only with very light exercise after massage. A gentle walk, very light stretching, or slow easy cycling might be okay later the same day after a light massage. After a deep tissue massage, exercising same day is generally not advised.
What counts as light exercise after massage?
Light exercise after massage means activities that don’t stress your muscles much or raise your heart rate a lot. Examples include:
* Slow, relaxed walking.
* Gentle, non-straining stretching.
* Easy, flat-ground cycling at a slow speed.
* Slow, easy swimming.
* Mindful movement like gentle yoga or Tai Chi.
Avoid anything that makes you sweat heavily, breathe hard, or feel muscle fatigue.
Do I need a rest day after deep tissue massage?
Many experts recommend taking a rest day after massage, especially deep tissue massage. This kind of massage works muscles very deeply and can cause soreness. A rest day after massage allows your muscles time to recover, reduce inflammation, and fully benefit from the work the therapist did. Trying to push through an intense workout too soon can undo the good effects or lead to pain.
Why do my muscles feel sore after massage?
Muscle soreness after massage is common, especially after deep tissue work. It’s similar to the feeling you get after a hard workout. The massage has worked on tight spots and potentially caused tiny changes in the muscle tissue. As your body repairs and adjusts, it can feel sore. Drinking water and resting helps reduce this soreness over the next day or two.
Should I drink something other than water after a massage?
Water is the most important thing to hydrate after massage. It helps flush out waste. Some people also like to drink electrolyte drinks or herbal teas. Avoid alcohol and caffeine right after a massage, as they can dehydrate you.
By being smart about when and how you exercise after a massage, you can help your body feel its best and get the most out of both activities. Listen carefully to what your body tells you.