We all need to periodically change our exercise routine.
Whether you haven’t been exercising lately and want to get back into the habit, you’ve been sidelined due to injury and want to get back to what you love, or you are an engaged athlete experiencing a plateau–there are always times we need to shake things up! Even if you are in a great routine now, there will be a point in the future where you’ll need to adjust.
New habits can be hard to start, and following through with a new exercise routine is challenging. Give yourself as many tools as possible to help ensure your own success!
Massage can be supportive and even game-changing for getting yourself acclimated to a new routine.
If you haven’t exercised in a while:
Decide if you can jump back into a routine that worked for you before, or whether you want to try something new. If you need a new place in Madison to get motivated, the Resolution Team loves Iron Pagoda for innovative small group and personal training, or Dragonfly Yoga for a variety of yoga and barre workouts. There are also many great new podcasts (most for free!), for running and other exercise, if you want to exercise by yourself but could use a bit of instruction or motivation.
How Massage Can Help:
If you haven’t been exercising regularly, you may be sore after moving a lot. That’s ok; it will get better! Toxins (or waste products, such as lactic acid) are released by muscles after hard work, and the buildup of these waste products is what causes soreness. Massage can help by encouraging blood and lymph flow, which helps push these toxins back into circulation and out of the muscle. This alleviates soreness, improves recovery time, and can help get you through the initial challenge of a new routine.
Have trouble staying motivated? Try scheduling a massage once a week as your “reward” for doing your new routine. The bodywork will help your muscles recover and reduce soreness, and having a relaxing massage to look forward to may help motivate you when those endorphins haven’t quite kicked in yet!
If you’ve been sidelined due to injury:
It can be extremely discouraging when you have a great routine going, and you must stop due to injury. Give yourself time to heal, but don’t give up on what you love! If you’re having lingering problems due to an injury that are keeping you from biking, running, etc.– seek out help. There are many types of therapy and bodywork that can facilitate and expedite the healing process.
How Massage Can Help:
Both Therapeutic Massage and Structural Integration can be game-changing for helping heal from injury. In addition to helping facilitate the healing process by increasing blood flow and loosening stiff muscles, massage helps break up scar tissue that may have formed. Structural Integration can also help realign the area you’ve injured so it heals properly. If you have given yourself ample time to heal but are still feeling not-quite-right and not ready to exercise, getting a consultation from a Structural Integration specialist is a great idea.
Tim Schimick at Resolution is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Structural Integration specialist, and avid athlete who is passionate about helping people get back to the activity they love. Sauna can also aid the healing process; read more about our Infrared Sauna here.
If you’re experiencing a plateau:
Your body has adjusted to the demands of your current routine, and it’s time to shake things up! If you’re feeling bored or not seeing the results you want, it could be time to tweak your exercise plan. While a personal trainer can help with the specifics of your routine, Therapeutic Massage or Structural Integration can assist with making sure your body is functioning at its best so you can see the results you want.
How Massage Can Help:
By helping restore muscle elasticity and promote recovery, massage can help ease your body into a new routine, so you don’t experience such extreme soreness and tension after beginning a tougher workout.
If you do a lot of strength training, flexibility is often a challenge; Therapeutic Massage can help enhance flexibility beyond what stretching and foam rolling can do. (Though both are also part of a smart workout/recovery plan!)