Sudipta Satpathy
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Written By: Sudipta Satpathy | Updated : August 19, 2015 7:20 PM IST
Hi, I am a 26-year-old man, and I started weight training last month at a gym nearby. This is the first I am exercising in my life, and I get really sore after each session. My trainer says I should get massages, but I am not very sure. The massage sessions are very expensive, and I feel he is doing it with the intention of making some extra money. Please tell me if massages are really needed.
Yes, massages do help. They not only make you feel better but also speed up muscle recovery and relieve soreness. What you are experiencing is called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. Since you are weight training for the first time in your life, the soreness may be a little more than usual, but don t let it stop you from continuing. One of the easiest ways to recover after a workout is getting good sleep. Sleeping for 8 hours aids growth hormone production and helps tissue repair and growth. For more tips, click here.
According to a study published in the journal Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, massages help improve blood flow and reduce muscle soreness after exercises. Deep tissue massages post workouts help convert nutrients into useful energy. A 2013 study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise explains how getting a massage right after your workout session, though painful, may actually be more helpful.
If you are worried about expenses, just know that you don t need to get it very often. According to celebrity fitness trainer Ramona Braganza, you need to get massages every week only if you workout five times a week. If you workout only a couple of times a week then you can space your massage sessions and get it once in two weeks or even once in a month.
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