Every couple of weeks or so I get the question -Can I work out after a sports massage? Of course you can, but should you? My suggestion is don't do it, because the body cannot do two things at once.

 -Can I work out after a sports massage? 

If you remember from one of my earlier posts, I was talking about why you often feel tired after a deep sports massage. It is because the deep massage helps the body to start its own cleaning and healing process. If you go and work out later that day, that cleaning process will stop. Instead, the body is now focusing on supplying oxygen and glucose to the muscles so you can do your training. Typically you will feel very tired and sluggish if you choose to work out after a deep tissue massage. It's because the body has to switch from repairing mode to action.

If you feel like you absolutely have to do some type of training the same day, keep it light and short. Think of it more like active recovery than actual training. Do something like a short easy bike ride or go for an easy walk with a friend.

What about exercising before a sports massage on the same day? I would say that it's ideal. It is a great way to get rid of the extra lactic acid that have been built up during the training, and get the blood circulating. It will speed up your recovery a lot and leave your body recovered and better able to adapt to the following training session.

But what about pro athletes, don't they get massages all the time? Well, yes and no. It all depends on when and what kind of a massage. For instance when I work with tennis players they might need some massage to warm up a tight and tired shoulder before a match. That's very different from a deep tissue massage, which they would have after the match. The goal before the match is just to warm up the muscles, which means that the time spent on that area is shorter and the intensity is lower.

If it was me, I would not do any training after a sports massage. If you have never had a deep sports massage before, or it was a long time since your last session I would even suggest taking 2 days off, with just some very light active recovery work on the second day. Give the body some time to adapt.

Enjoy your weekend! 😉