FFC Oak Park spa manager, Jason VonGerichten, shares massage therapy benefits related to exercise (even for just regular, everyday fitness enthusiasts – you don’t have to be an athlete!) and how it helps you, no matter what type of fitness you like.
As we’ve always been told, too much of anything can be bad for you. Did you know you could die from eating too many carrots?
Carrots!
If only eating carrots didn’t look so cool I wouldn’t have gotten hooked at such a young age…
The same methodology can be applied to your fitness routines.
Is lifting weights good for building strength? Yes. Is yoga good for your core? Absolutely. Is Pilates some sort of torture device that is irrationally good for you? Of course it is.
So should you only do any one of these things? Probably not.
In the same way you should not only do any one of these things, you should also consider occasionally integrating different wellness practices into your routine. If you add in regular massages to your routine, you can amplify your performance and see dramatic increases in results. Here are some massage therapy benefits related to each type of fitness mentioned above.
Weight Lifting
If you’re a weight lifter you probably spend a lot of time tearing up your muscles and allowing them to heal in shortened positions. Look over at the big guys on the benches. Are their shoulders rolled inward (so you can see the backs of their hands when their arms are at their sides)? Those big gains might look good now, but over time holding your shoulders in this posture can lead to any number of dysfunctions (tendonitis, rotator cuff impingement, frozen shoulder, etc.).
Getting regular massages from a skilled practitioner can help realign those shoulders before any major damage is done. With a combination of myofascial release and Swedish techniques over the pecs and shoulders, you can increase your range of motion and make sure you keep on getting swole.
Yoga
Even yoga practitioners, who are all about stretching, core strength and mindful movement, can take advantage of massage therapy benefits. Anyone who has failed at pigeon pose will know what I’m talking about. A little troublemaker, named piriformis, is the main muscle stopping your hip from rotating the way it should. It’s typically made short and tight from holding your hip in an externally rotated position for extending periods of time (like when you’re seated). Are you seated right now? Are your feet pointed straight forward? No? Then your piriformis is becoming misshapen.
A massage therapist knows how to release this muscle through deep tissue massage and appropriate stretching, making sure your sit bones get all the way down to the mat during pigeon pose, no blocks required.
Pilates
And Pilates. You’re going to be sore after Pilates. Massage will improve your recovery time so you can get right back to getting sore again.
Here comes the shameless plug:
FFC hires only the most skilled massage therapists to staff their spas, and any one of them can help you reap massage therapy benefits and devise a massage plan to help reach your goals as painlessly as possible. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation and let us help you achieve all your fitness objectives.
Post written by FFC Oak Park Spa Manager Jason VonGerichten.
About Jason
Jason VonGerichten is the spa and retail manager at FFC Oak Park. He’s been a massage therapist for ten years, a writer for much longer, and he currently resides with his wife and three pugs in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. To set up a consultation or for more questions or information, email him at jvongerichten@ffc.com.