Can You Exercise After Massage Therapy? Key Insights

Monica Pineider
1 day ago
6 min read

One of the most commonly asked questions after receiving a massage is, "Can I work out after a massage?" especially for individuals who are very much into fitness, as exercise is a common stress-relieving mechanism. It's important to understand some key points about exercise after massage therapy.

Massage therapy is often considered a relaxing experience, but its effects are more complex than that. Massage therapy is a form of treatment that can have a profound effect on the body. It's not just a matter of loosening the muscles; its effects are more complex.

Massage therapy can have a profound effect on the nervous system, influencing an individual's readiness to move their body.

It's essential to understand how massage therapy affects the body and the best time to take a break, rather than forcing yourself to work out. There are different types of recovery aids, such as supplements from Nootropics Depot, that are considered to be helpful in conjunction with massage therapy.

Physical therapist gently guides a patient’s bent knee during rehabilitation, demonstrating safe exercise after massage therapy in a bright clinical setting.

How Massage Affects the Body

The purpose of a massage goes beyond "loosening muscles." It can create short-term physiological changes that influence how ready or unready you may feel to move afterward.

Changes in Muscle Tone and Tissue Response

Massage can temporarily relieve muscle tension, particularly after deeper or slower strokes.

Muscles that were 'stiff' or 'tight' can suddenly feel flexible or more relaxed. While this can help improve range of motion, it can also reduce immediate strength potential if one works out too vigorously.

The fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds the muscle, will also respond to massage, particularly to pressure and shear stress. The tissue may feel more 'pliable' after massage, but it can also be more sensitive until the nervous system readjusts-something to keep in mind before engaging in exercise after massage therapy.

Circulation and Fluid Shifts

Massage increases local circulation and helps move lymph fluid. This is great for nutrient uptake and waste removal, but it can also cause that 'heavy' or 'flushed' feeling after a massage.

If one has already increased circulation through massage, attempting strenuous exercise right after may feel more difficult than expected.

Nervous System Effects: Why You Feel Calm (or Sleepy)

One of the least discussed, but certainly one of the more significant, effects of massage is its impact on the nervous system. The vast majority of therapeutic massage techniques actually engage the parasympathetic nervous system, or 'rest and digest' function.

If one's nervous system is in 'recovery mode,' then one can expect:

Slower breathing
Slower heart beating
Feeling calmer or more tired
Less urgency or stress

While this is great for healing and stress relief, it is certainly not conducive to optimal performance.

When Rest Is Best: Post-Treatment Recovery Tips

Sometimes, skipping a workout right after a massage is the best idea. Here are a few tips to help you decide your movement plans after your massage.

Situations Where Exercise After Massage Therapy Should Wait

Resting is usually the better choice if your massage involves:

Deep tissue and/or trigger point therapy
Prolonged pressure on chronically tight areas
Significant soreness during and/or after the massage therapy session
General fatigue and low energy levels after the massage therapy session

For these cases, your body is choosing to repair itself and "downshifts" its nervous system.

Deciding to work out right after these types of massage can lead to soreness or reduced coordination.

Why Hydration and Downtime Matter

When your body moves fluids through your muscles and other soft tissues, massage therapy is at work. Drinking plenty of water after your massage therapy session will help your body process the metabolic byproducts.

Giving your body quiet time instead of exercising after your massage therapy session allows your muscles and soft tissues to settle into their new, rested state.

A General Recovery Window

While individual results and muscle soreness can vary from person to person, a good recovery window includes:

12-24 hours of lighter activity after deep and/or therapeutic massage therapy
No heavy lifting, intense training, or long endurance events

Rest does not mean you'll be lazy and inactive. Rest can mean allowing recovery to take its course so that your muscles have time to heal.

Also READ - Post Massage Care: Why It Matters More Than You Think

Light Exercise After Massage Therapy: When It's

Actually Helpful

Not all types of massage need extended rest before movement. A gentler post-massage

workout can have benefits.

Massage Types That Pair Well With Movement

Light physical activity is best performed after:

Swedish massage
Lymphatic drainage massage
Relaxation-focused sessions
Short, low-pressure treatments

These types of massages are designed to promote circulation and relaxation, not to challenge or break down your muscles.

Ideal Activities for Safe Exercise After Massage Therapy

Good activities to try after a massage include:

Leisurely walks
Light yoga or stretches
Mobility exercises, focusing on range instead of intensity
Light cycling or swimming

These lighter activities are meant to promote muscle movement and flexibility rather than pure muscle building or breaking your PR.

Listening to the Body's Feedback

This is where the answer to whether you can work out after a massage becomes very personal. Movement should be smoother, not strained.

If you feel:

Uncoordinated, sluggish, and sloppy
Heaviness in any of your limbs
An inability to activate any of your limbs

Then it is best to take a break. Having high-impact, stressful workouts when your body is in this state can cause muscle or ligament damage if not adequately monitored.

Pre-Workout Massage: Boosting Performance or Risking Fatigue?

The pre-workout massage is a gray area. When done correctly, it can help improve performance even during exercise after massage therapy. When done incorrectly, it can leave you feeling drained rather than ready to go. When done incorrectly, it can leave you feeling drained rather than ready to go.

The Purpose of Pre-Workout Massage

The main objective of a pre-workout massage is not to help you recover or relax. It's about helping you perform better. Its primary purpose is to help your body get ready for physical activity.

The pre-workout massage is typically:

Short in length, lasting less than 15 minutes
Focused on specific muscle groups
Fast-paced and light to medium touch
Done in conjunction with active warm-ups

A pre-workout massage is more of an extension of your typical warm-up rather than a standalone treatment.

How It Can Support Performance

A pre-workout massage can improve workout performance when done correctly. It can:

Increase blood flow to specific areas
Improve body awareness
Decrease stiffness that limits movement
Help you connect better and perform better
Help you feel more coordinated and connected.

If you're the kind of person who feels stiff and tense before training, having a pre-workout massage can help you perform better, primarily through the first few sets.

Why Massage Can Reduce Training Output

The pre-workout massage can decrease performance if done incorrectly. If it's too slow, too deep, or too long before training, it can trigger your nervous system to go into recovery mode. While that's great for helping you heal, it is not great for helping you perform.

Signs that massage may have gone too far include:

Feeling sleepy or mentally unfocused
A noticeable drop in explosiveness or speed
Muscles that feel loose but hard to activate
Needing longer than usual to feel "warmed up."

Again, it's not that the massage has done anything wrong; it's that the massage has helped

the body feel calm rather than ready.

Best Practices for Pre-Workout Massage and Exercise After Massage Therapy

If massage is a part of your pre-workout routine, the best practices are to ensure that it's used in the following ways:

Massage should be light and focused rather than a full-body massage
The pressure should be moderate rather than deep tissue or hurtful
The massage should be followed up with some movement to enhance readiness further
The massage should be focused on warming up rather than releasing the muscles

When massage and movement are combined rather than relying solely on massage, the fatigue factor drops significantly.

Final Takeaway: Timing for Massage and Exercise After Massage Therapy

The biggest mistake everyone makes with massage and movement is believing there's a specific way it's supposed to be done. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Bodies differ based on a variety of factors, including the level of stress they're under, the level of exercise they're getting, the level of sleep they're getting, the level of nutrition they're receiving, and the type of massage they're receiving.

Not All Massage Signals the Same Response

While a deep tissue massage signals the body to slow down and recover, a light massage

may only signal the body to be more aware and to move more fluidly.

Treating both the same, whether it's to rest or to push through, fails to understand massages. Instead, it's best to match your movement to your current state. Instead of asking the question, 'Should I work out?' it's best to ask the following:

If the movement feels suitable for how your body feels in the first few minutes, it is okay. But if things are feeling harder, slower, or more uncomfortable, then stopping to rest might be the best choice.

If movement improves how your body feels within the first few minutes, it's appropriate. If things feel more complicated, slower, or more uncomfortable, rest may offer more benefit.

Why Rest Is Still Productive

Rest after a massage isn't unproductive time; it's when all the changes in the nervous system and tissues actually take place. Skipping a workout to allow for more rest can: