Pre- and Post-Workout Massage: How Athletes Can Maximize Performance

Pre- and Post-Workout Massage: How Athletes Can Maximize Performance

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts, we know you’re constantly pushing your limits—setting new records, learning new skills, or just staying healthy for the long haul. But whether you’re a marathon runner, a pickleball enthusiast, or someone who crushes gym sessions every week, your body works hard to keep up. Giving it the care it deserves isn’t just self-care—it’s a smart strategy.

Enter pre- and post-workout massages, your secret weapon for feeling stronger, recovering faster, and preventing injuries.

Keep reading to learn why massages should be a core part of your training routine, whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or anything in between.

The Game-Changing Benefits of Massage for Athletes

Massage therapy isn’t just for luxury spa days. For athletes, it’s a key tool that enhances efficiency both on and off the field. Here’s how massage can elevate your game—no matter your sport or fitness level.

1. Improved Muscle Recovery: Massage helps improve blood circulation, which means nutrients and oxygen reach muscle tissues faster. The result? Quicker recovery after intense workouts.

2. Reduced Muscle Tension: Massage therapy loosens up those tight quads, shoulders, and calves, leading to better flexibility and reduced risk of injury.

3. Better Range of Motion: Enhanced mobility from regular massages can boost your performance, letting you run faster, jump higher, and lift heavier.

4. Stress Reduction: Rest and mental clarity are just as important as physical training. Massage helps reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase endorphins (your body’s feel-good signals).

5. Pain Relief: If muscle soreness or overuse injuries are slowing you down, massage therapy can bring much-needed relief by targeting problem areas and reducing inflammation.

Ready to get started? Call All Body Kneads today and schedule a massage. 517-898-2899 Or book online!

Not Just For Pro Athletes

You don’t need to have a medal collection to benefit from massage therapy. Many different types of athletes and fitness enthusiasts are making it a part of their routine.

  • Pickleball Players looking to ease joint tension and recover from spirited games.
  • Middle-aged adults in Local Gyms aiming to maintain health and a balanced lifestyle.
  • Casual Weekend Runners building endurance for their next 5K.
  • Fitness Newbies who want to avoid injuries while learning proper form.

If you use your muscles, massage is for YOU.

Why Pre-Workout Massages Matter

Think of a pre-workout massage as a warm-up for your muscles—only better. Here’s how it works:

  • Enhanced Blood Flow: Light massages before exercise promote blood flow to key muscle groups, helping you start your workout strong.
  • Better Flexibility: Stretch-focused massage techniques can improve mobility, so you hit your squat depth or reach those yoga poses with ease.
  • Mental Prep: Relaxation-focused treatments can help calm pre-competition jitters or get you in the zone before hitting the gym.
Pro Tip: Pair your pre-workout massage with a short session in an infrared sauna to warm up muscles even further. The heat boosts circulation, carrying nutrients to your tissues and prepping your body for peak performance.

Maximize Recovery with Post-Workout Massages

After a tough workout, your body needs TLC. A post-workout massage isn’t just a treat—it’s an essential part of recovery.

  • Speeds Muscle Repair: Massage removes lactic acid build-up and encourages lymphatic drainage, reducing muscle soreness and stiffness.
  • Reduces DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness): Say goodbye to feeling sore for days. Post-workout massages ease tension and help muscles bounce back faster.
  • Re-aligns Muscle Fibers: Sports massage can target specific problem areas and help prevent long-term tightness or imbalance.

For an extra layer of recovery, follow your massage with an infrared sauna session. The infrared heat promotes deep relaxation and helps remove toxins that build up during intense exercise.

Combo Benefits of Infrared Sauna and Massage

Want to take your pre-and post-workout recovery to the next level? Combining massage therapy with an infrared sauna session is a winning formula for both mind and body.

How it works:

  • Infrared Heat Prepares Your Muscles: The sauna’s heat warms your muscles, making them easier to manipulate and reducing discomfort during the massage.
  • Detoxification at its Best: Infrared heat helps clear toxins, while massage enhances lymphatic drainage, leaving you feeling cleansed and refreshed.
  • Stress Relief x2: The combined therapy creates a deeper sense of relaxation, so both body and mind are ready to perform at their best.

At All Body Kneads in Lansing, MI, we offer tailored packages that combine these two amazing therapies to deliver maximum results.

Your Best Performance Starts Here

To all the athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and movement lovers out there—stronger, more resilient bodies aren’t just built in the gym. They’re also built in the moments where recovery meets preparation.

Curious to see how pre- and post-workout massage (plus a soothing infrared sauna session) can elevate your performance?

Book a personalized session with us at All Body Kneads and feel the difference for yourself.

Call 517-898-2899 or BOOK ONLINE

Don’t wait—your body is asking for it.

Sports Massage: Increase Performance and Prevent Injury

Sports Massage: Increase Performance and Prevent Injury

Add Sports Massage to Your Workout Schedule

Athletes are recognizing that regular therapeutic sports massage should be a part of all training and regular workout routines. Why?

When an athlete receives a sports massage (deep-tissue therapeutic massage) it improves the general wear and tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The physiological and psychological benefits of massage make it an ideal complement to a total conditioning program.

Who can benefit from sport massage?

Anyone who routinely stretches thesports massage ir physical limits through movement such as:

  • running
  • cycling
  • hiking
  • swimming
  • dancing
  • tennis and other racquet sports
  • strength training
  • aerobics
  • team sports such as basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, etc.

In fact, sometimes the season of life wsports massagee are in or the job we have also requires a lot of physical movement. Other people who can benefit from massage include:

  • have small children and do a lot of lifting
  • gardeners and those who work in their yard a lot
  • factory workers
  • service workers

Sports Massage is a Healthy Reward

Sports massage is beneficial when starting a conditioning program, because it helps you get into good shape faster, and with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster from heavy workouts, and relieves conditions which may cause injury.

Sports massage can also be something you look forward to after a work out — a healthy reward!

How Sports Massage Can Help

Recovery

Sports massage helps the body recover from the stresses of strenuous exercise and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning. The physiological benefits of sports massage (and massage in general) include:

  • improved blood and lymph circulation
  • muscle relaxation
  • general relaxation
  • removal of waste products and better cell nutrition
  • normalization and greater elasticity of tissues
  • deactivation of trigger points
  • faster healing of injuries

In addition to these benefits, therapeutic massage may also focus on specific muscles used in a sport or fitness activity. For example, the legs for runners, upper body for swimmers, and arms for tennis players. These areas are more likely to be tight, lose flexibility, and develop trigger points.

Overtraining

Sometimes athletes do not allow themselves adequate recovery time, especially if they are training for an upcoming event. This can lead to higher rates of injury and fatigue.

sports massage You may be overtraining if you experience:

  • irritability
  • apathy
  • altered appetite
  • increased frequency of injury
  • increased resting heart rate
  • insomnia

These things can occur when the body is not allowed to recover adequately between training.

Sports massage can help you avoid overtraining by promoting recovery through general relaxation and healing properties.

Trouble Spots

Every athlete and active person has their own trouble spots. Sometimes this is from past injuries, repetitive motion or a particular activity. A massage therapist can pay extra attention to these areas while monitoring them for developing problems or improvement. An experienced massage therapist can also compliment any treatment you are receiving from other health care professions such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, medical doctors, trainers, and physical therapists.

Making the Most of Your Sports Massage

In order to maximize the benefit of sports massage, here are some tips:

  • Schedule your sports massage (30 minutes to 90 minute massage) for after your workout or on rest day.
  • Cool down completely after your workout before getting a massage.
  • Take a shower, sauna, steam bath, or Jacuzzi before your sports massage. This will give you a jump start on relaxation.
  • Communicate with your massage therapist about your recent activity, injuries, or upcoming events so she or he can customize the massage.
  • Be sure to inform the massage therapist about painful areas.
  • Be as diligent with your massage schedule as you are with your training. Regular sports massage means once a week to once a month.

Call All Body Kneads today to schedule your sports massage.

(517) 898-2899


References:

Therapeutic Massage for Sports and Fitness by Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD.

Robert K. King. Performance Massage; Muscle Care for Physically Active People. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1993

Bonnie Prudden. Myotherapy: Complete Guide to Pain-Free Living. New York: Ballentine Books, 1984.

Frances M. Tappan and Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD. Tappan’s Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques: Classic Holistic, and Emerging Methods. San Mateo, CA: Appleton & Lange, 1998.