The 5 Amazing Benefits of Massage Therapy and the #1 Myth

Today, I wanted to share the five benefits of regular massage and the one myth I often hear when it comes to it.

Here are the five benefits:

1. It Relaxes You
   You’re stressed and working all week long and sometimes you just need to calm down. It’s an hour all to yourself to relax.
2. It Feels Good
   Needless to say, massage feels good on the body!
3. It Releases Endorphins
   Endorphins are why it feels good! They also do a lot of other things for you. They reduce pain, stress and anxiety. They reduce cortisol, a stress hormone. When all these things come together, it makes you feel good!
4. It Reduces Aches and Pains
   Massage reduces muscle tightness and soreness. Muscles aren’t always tight because they’re short. They can also feel tight because you lack stability. Either way, massage can reduce that tight feeling.
5. It Increases Blood Flow
   Because of this, massage promotes recovery and healing. A lot of people get massage after an event like a bike race or CrossFit workout.

The number one myth about massage therapy is that it flushes out lactic acid. The same is true for foam rolling. Lactic acid, or lactate, is a muscle byproduct. It doesn’t stay around very long and it’s not the type of acid that you may think of when you hear the word. It also isn’t what causes the burn in your muscles during or after exercise.

Massage doesn’t flush that out, but it does improve circulation. For years, I raced bikes and would get a massage afterwards. My recovery was great.

You should get a massage on a regular basis if you want to experience all the benefits above!

It’s been a long time since my wife or I have found a local massage therapist we really liked, but we recently hired one at our clinic who we absolutely love.

If you want to learn more about how you can use some self-massage techniques at home, click here to get access to our FREE LeBauerPT Library!