Massage and stretching are both really
helpful ways to keep your muscles relaxed, reduce tension and of course help
recovery after an injury. Stretching helps to get the blood
flowing to your muscles, which is great if you’ve injured yourself, or if your muscles
are stiff because they’ve contracted due to inactivity.
Giving your muscles a really good
stretch can stop your muscles from going into painful spasms or cramps, and
stop the knots forming in them that take so much work to get rid of when you do
get a massage! Regular massage on the other hand
improves your flexibility and range of motion, keeping your joints more fluid
and making them less injury prone in the first place.
What are the differences between
massage and stretches – and how do they work together to promote muscle and
joint health?
Massage:
What is a massage? Well, stripped
right down, massage is simply a word that’s used to describe the manipulation
of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue.
Of course there are lots of different
types of massage, and techniques that are suitable for different things, but
when you go for a massage, this is what your therapist will be doing.
What’s massage good for?
We love a massage for general well-being,
but medically massage is recognized for more than just making you feel good.
Massage can:
- Help strained muscles to heal faster
- Reduce swelling and scar tissue if
you’re injured
- Relieve stiffness and tension in your
muscles
- Reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and
fatigue
Stretching:
Stretching does have a lot of
similarities to massage, but its main benefit is to relieve the tightness and
tension that’s built up in your muscles when you’ve used (and over-used) them.
Having a really good, effective stretch can increase the blood flow to your
muscles, and this leads to a better range of motion that helps your joints to
stay in alignment.
What’s stretching good for?
Stretching properly can:
- Improve your circulation
- Boost your nerve health – a contracted
muscle around a nerve can create pressure that can constrict the blood supply
to the nerve.
- Make movement easier
- Improve flexibility
How can massage and a stretching
routine work together?
Daily stretching – to a point where
you can just feel it pulling on your muscles – can really help to increase your
flexibility, and you can feel the effects in a matter of a few weeks. Daily
stretching is a great compliment to activity and the perfect maintenance
between massages.
Enjoying a regular massage helps to
keep your body relaxed and flexible. Massage can release trigger points and
muscles in spasm, making your stretching routine even more effective.
You
can also ask your massage therapist for advice if you have any injuries or are
experiencing stiffness in your muscles. They can help you find the stretches
that target the tight muscles that are causing you problems.
At I Love Massage London, we are always looking for a great massage therapists to offer the best massage in London. Register here and get listed today!