Massages aren't so good afterall?

I've heard of the little time off to let the body rebuild again. But as I said above to another commenter, that I do have to do more research, I don't think he's heard of a sports massage, but I know I have. I always assumed that massages were just a luxury thing, just like saunas are. Okay so another question - I've often heard of "No pain, no gain" - isn't there any truth in that in regards to exercising/working out? I've climbed up stairs in our highrise building yesterda - 13 storeys - and now I'm really feeling it in the back of my legs, I think I'll take a break today as yesterday was the first time in about a year and a half doing it (I stopped because of a serious illness which lasted for months and am getting back on my feet again.) But I'll go back to climbing those stairs again tomorrow, though. I am going for a nice long walk with my family this evening, get my daughter's hair cut and purchase a few items from store, then walk back home. Anyway, this is always interesting, and hopefully this discussion will give me some good starting points for research on this area.

@Masihi, my understanding about the sore calves, for instance, is that in addition to the stair climbing, which is working the back of the leg, you need to do something to strenghthen the fronts of the legs. I use weight machines and I have to use both the quadriceps machine and the hamstring machine.In addition, I use the hip extensor. I can see some of what your hubby is saying. I can be really sore, and achy, but then I go use the weight machines and the use makes them relax. Believe me, though, I will take a massage any time I can get one. If you over do the exercise, starting out, you may burn yourself out. At this point I feel like the exercise is helping me build energy. Oh, and saunas are not just a luxury either. They help build your immune system and also purifies you by making you sweat. If they were just luxury then so many cultures would not be using them as routine processes.

There's a big difference between an ache from unfamiliar use and muscle pain. I have back problems: going out and walking for three hours not only tires me out completely but also makes various bits hurt - in an achey, "good pain" way. If any of that pain becomes a muscle twinge or something more focussed and "bad pain", it's better to relax a little rather than abuse the muscle further. I guess it comes down to defining "good" and "bad" pain, really. As for "no pain, no gain", that's not strictly true these days. There are some absolutely incredible low-impact exercises (such as Pilates and Yoga) which cause no pain but give surprising gain. Like most people, I expect strenuous exercise to "hurt" in some way but apparently it's not necessary. I guess that comes down to what you want from exercise: weight loss will always be strenuous since it's cardio; rebuilding weak muscles needn't hurt so much because you can do it with low-impact stuff. You'd have to research or talk to someone who really knows this stuff - all my knowledge is picked up from various professionals who've tried to help fix my back troubles!

The thing is, that's exactly what my husband believes in, that you have to continually work the muscles and only rest them when you're really exhausted, that's what I see him doing all the time, and he puts up with a lot of pain. He says to keep on going, the pain will work itself out and make you stronger. I myself will rest my muscles and attempt to massage them myself if I can't get someone else to do it for me.

he is wrong, you should tell him that his muscle need more rest, and massages are a really good way to rest his muscle... i hope this help xD

Really? Now this is really interesting. I"ve never had a professional massage before but I just might get one when I get enough money! :-D hehe

lol my husband's even adverse to "sensual massages" :-p I've heard of massage oils, what do they do?

He's one of those tough guys - maucho man - eat big, exercise big, get big pain and get big pride from his ability to bear it. Literally. I'm not joking. As for me, I'm a wimp that loooooooves it when my sore muscles are rubbed, it feels soooo GOOD lol

I know as we get older our skin bruises more easily, it's just that our skin is more thinner than the younger people's are.

Ok I'll bookmark this site. I've heard something about knotted muscles, but dont' know anything about them.

Yes, it's a lovely, relaxing feeling to have your muscles massaged when they're sore! :-)

He's worked in construction for years and is now a crossing guard, he has always been active and hard-working, couldn't sit still when he was younger. He's 46 now so he's starting to require a bit more rest but is still a lot more active than I am. He has "worked out" his pain a good many times without a massage over the years. Now he hikes, fishes, hunts, hard biking, long walks for his exercise.

Ya, I am aware of the rest periods needed to build up the muscles. Well, last night Hubby pushed us for a long walk, which made my legs even more sore, so I rested all day today

Yes, everything in moderation, I guess. It's funny that you mention the pyscholocial part, and it's so true, when we feel pain, we immediately rub at it without even thinking. Never thought of that.