You might be aware that resistance leads to growth in many ways, but you may not be aware that other factors can also contribute to growth. In fact, massage therapy can aid your growth in ways that you might never imagine.
Massa
ge is usually considered a luxury, an occasional relaxing splurge, but the truth is that massage therapy is a form of alternative medicine that has bona fide medical applications; in most states it even requires practitioners to be licensed by the state medical board.
Massage can do more than just relax you, it can actually improve your recovery time, increase or help you maintain your range of motion, and help you see better results.
How Resistance Training Affects Your Muscles
You might not realize this but you don’t actually build muscle during resistance exercises. Resistance actually breaks down your muscle by causing microscopic tears in the fibers that make up each muscle. You don’t actually start building until the muscles heal, which happens when the muscle is at rest, which can take 48 to 72 hours. This is why you are encouraged to take one full day off before working the same body part again.
While breaking down the muscles, or catabolism, is a direct effect of resistance training, there are also secondary effects that occur as well:
–Your muscles produce lactic acid, a natural by-product of cellular respiration;
–Blood flow to the muscle increases, to deliver oxygen and nutrients, and remove lactic acid and other wastes;
–The muscle is swollen for several hours after the session;
–The swelling in the muscles causes stiffness, and possibly soreness. It also constricts the blood vessels, which can slow blood flow and increase your recovery time;
–The repaired muscle fiber is sometimes contracted, and less flexible than before.
–The process that occurs while the muscle heals is why massage is so important.
How Massage Affects Your Muscles
Massage affects your muscles in multiple ways:
–It helps push blood through the muscle to reduce swelling and encourage blood flow.
–Wh
en blood can circulate freely through your muscles, it can deliver the oxygen and nutrients they need to repair, and remove wastes more efficiently;
–Reducing the swelling also reduces stiffness and soreness.
–Massage also acts as a “tenderizer” to keep the repaired fibers flexible and reduce their tendency to contract as they heal.
–Keeping the fibers flexible can help you maintain your range of motion, and even improve it;
–Better range of motion means you can actually contract your muscle more forcefully and use more weight during resistance exercises.
You don’t have to get a massage after every session, but having one as every two weeks can greatly improve your recovery time and overall muscle function. Additionally, the effects of massage are cumulative, which means the more often you have one the longer the effects last.
Getting a Massage
The good news is that you don’t have to make an extra trip to reap the benefits of receiving regular massages. Many massage therapists make house calls, so that you can get a massage in the privacy and safety of home. If you get frequent massages, you can even purchase your own 
massage table to use whenever the therapist visits.
There are several ways to find a massage therapist; some work out of gyms and health spas, some advertise in health publications, and you can even find them on Craigslist. However, not all massage therapists are created equal.
For example, although most states require people who practice medical massage to be licensed, people who practice adult or relaxation massage do not need licensing. Unfortunately, these adult and relaxation-only practitioners often don’t have the skills, knowledge, or training necessary to perform the type of massage that will most benefit you.
Your best option for finding a good medical massage therapist is to check with organizations like the American Massage Therapy Association, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage, and the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.
All of these organizations require their member therapists to meet certain educational and licensing or certification criteria before joining. These organizations can also offer more information on the benefits of massage and finding the right therapist for you.
