When Larry Kent went for his first massage, at age 35, he was a bit nervous. The Chicago ad exec had faithfully worked out since his college days, and had the good fortune of an injury-free history. The reason he went for a massage was that he had heard it might help improve his workout.
"I am pretty much in the maintenance mode," he said, "and in the winter I tend to lay back a bit, using lighter weights and having shorter workouts." Then spring arrived and Larry realized it wouldn't be long before he was going shirtless at the beach. "It was harder to ramp up my routine," he admitted. "I thought it was the aging process--but I knew that 35 isn't that old."
He didn't attribute it to his demanding job, since he'd worked in the field for years and felt accustomed to the pace. In fact, going to the gym after work was how he decompressed. But the years of stress had, indeed, had an effect. After the massage, and a subsequent one, his workouts were easier.
Were his muscles manipulated in a way that improved his lifting? Were toxins drained from his body that were limiting his growth? These are questions that will get you different answers, with no specific science to prove one way or the other.
As Larry discovered, a massage can do more than just feel good. The three things it has been proven to do--relieve stress, improve your posture, and decrease muscle imbalance--can help your workout in better ways than you imagined.
STRESS RELIEF
The stress relief that a massage provides is definitely a workout-booster, according to Michael Elder, Chicago, an ACE-certified personal trainer who is also a C.M.T. (certified massage therapist, a national designation). Even though the idea of massage pushing toxins out of the muscles hasn't yet been definitively established, it is known that stress creates toxins in the body, and relieving the stress is immediately possible with massage.
IMPROVED POSTURE
The other beneficial factor is posture. Massage can improve your posture, and even if you think your posture is fine, few people have perfect posture. Sure, you might not slump, but there could be other small, incorrect patterns you physically express day after day that are hindering your posture. The improved alignment provided by a massage can help your muscles work better while you're in the gym. It's like the old saying that using proper form is more important than using heavy weights in the gym. That slight improvement in your posture can make a major difference when it comes to lifting heavy weights. As an example, explains Elder, the lat pull-down and seated row are two "postural" exercises that can be strongly affected by the posture you use.
DECREASED MUSCULAR IMBALANCE
The third area of improvement is muscular balance. If you've ever felt like you did one exercise better than another--bis are easier than tris, for instance--you could be experiencing muscle imbalance.
"A tight muscle is always opposed by a loose muscle," says Elder. As an example, an avid weightlifter might get a massage and find that his pec muscles, while feeling strong, feel "tight." They have literally shortened and tightened. The opposing muscles, the back muscles, will have gotten longer and looser because of this imbalance. Massage can improve this, getting you back on track toward overall body fitness.
MODERN MAN SYNDROME
One "disease" of modern living that Elder sees both as a personal trainer and as a massage therapist is a form of kyphosis. While not the curvature spine disorder caused by disease or often affecting children, this type of "curved back" syndrome is caused by people who spend hours a day at a computer. Some don't use correct posture, or have ergonomically-incorrect chairs and are slightly hunched while they're worked. This "rounded-shoulder" affect happens slowly over time and might not be noticed at first. It might be noticed by others before you are aware of it, since you can only see your back in a mirror.
Massage can help correct the slight curve as the body is realigned back to its normal state. This, too, can vastly improve both your sports-playing ability and workout routine, since the neck, upper back and shoulders are crucial to all elements of sports or exercise routines.
WHEN TO GET RUBBED
A common idea is that a massage is great right after a vigorous workout. Not true at all, says Elder: "Your adrenaline is up, and your body has been working. Massage is another form of bodywork. Elder tells his clients they should eat right after a workout.
What about before a workout, to loosen the muscles so that they can perform their best? Nada. "You release endorphins during a workout and feel more relaxed after it's over," Elder says. So the best time is a day you're not working out at all.
FINDING THE RIGHT GUY--OR GAL
If you don't have someone to recommend a massage therapist, it's easier than you think to find one. Just ask for the guy at the gym, right? Not necessarily. Just because a massage therapist is a staff member of your gym, or is a free-lancer who has a regular gig there, does not make him the most-qualified person.
Go to the website of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) at http://www.amtamassage.org. They're the leading organization in the U.S. and Canada for certifying massage therapists, and have more than 50,000 therapists in their database. AMTA requires anyone it lists to be professional, active members of AMTA and must meet local and state licensing requirements.
There will be lots of listings, so here's how to narrow it. After you put in your city, click on the various names of therapists and see if a state license number is listed or if the letters "NCBTMB" appear after "Certified By." (This does not mean that everyone else on the list is unqualified.) Some of those people listed have a link to their website, and if not, you can also "Google" their name by entering it on Google.com with their name and state (not city, as some practitioners in the suburbs might have copy on the website that refers to the metro area) to find more information.
Whether to choose a male or female therapist is up to you. You're looking for a professional, not a hook-up, so it shouldn't matter. If there are underlying issues that might affect your decision, consider those. If the wife might be insanely jealous, for instance, go for the guy. You're there to get rid of stress, not add to it.
Also keep in mind that male therapists are not superior because they are stronger or have strong hands. "It's not about strength," says Elder. "A good massage therapist uses gravity and motion." Even a petite person can give a hulking bodybuilder a good massage.
It is recommended that you call the massage therapist to ask a few questions before you set up the appointment. Tell them you're a newbie, if you are, and ask if they work with people like you and what they usually do in the first session. Explain your athletic activities, and ask where they work (in their studio, bringing a massage table to your place, etc.). Also check the fees, because what you find on the Internet might not be current. Most massage therapists charge about $60-120 per hour. As for tipping, it's a nice gesture to tip at least $10 if you are going to a health club or salon, where the massage fee is almost always split with the institution. If you go to a therapist's location and he or she is self-employed, tips are not expected but always welcome.
PICK YOUR TYPE
The common assumption for an athlete is that you need a sports massage. After all, it sounds jock-y and manly. But you probably don't want a sports massage for your first time. It's more intense and injury-oriented, and a Swedish massage (using softer, longer strokes) is for most people a better introduction. It's also the most relaxing.
"Some sports massage, such as pretraining massage, is designed to stimulate muscle rather than relax it," Elder explains.
Other types of massage can involve drumming on your muscles, stretching, warming up the muscle, or more intense pressure, which is best performed once the therapist knows how you react and your problem areas. With Swedish massage, says Elder, you still get the benefit of the therapy improving circulation, reducing stress and helping alleviate soreness.
For the first massage, Elder suggests a full-body massage, preferably 90 minutes to two hours, so that the therapist can get an overall knowledge of any problems you have. Subsequent sessions can be area-specific.
Larry Kent almost missed his opportunity.
"I thought about blowing it off when I was on the way to the therapist," he said. "I'd never had a massage, was nervous because I had never had been touched by another guy that much, and wondered if I was wasting my money."
But afterward, he was a convert. "The therapist put me at ease, explained what he was doing, and within a few minutes I was like putty in his hands. It was incredibly relaxing. Afterward, I felt like I was floating, I felt so light. I just wish I had tried it earlier."
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