I Exercise Regularly — Where Does Thai Massage Fit In?
Maybe you lift weights several times a week. Maybe you run, hike, cycle, practice martial arts, take fitness classes, or simply enjoy staying active.
And maybe somewhere along the way you’ve noticed something:
The more you use your body, the more important it becomes to pay attention to how your body moves and feels.
I have worked with many active people over the years, and one thing I have learned is that massage doesn’t have to be reserved for the moment when something hurts.
Thai massage can also be an enjoyable form of bodywork for someone who exercises regularly and simply wants to incorporate massage, assisted stretching, and movement into an active lifestyle.
Exercise Can Leave You Feeling Tight
After strength training or other physical activity, you may notice areas that simply feel tight or less comfortable moving than usual.
For one person it might be the hips and legs. For another, it may be the shoulders, chest, or upper back.
That doesn’t necessarily mean there is an injury.
Sometimes the thought is simply:
I had a good workout, but my body feels like it could really use some movement and stretching.
That’s where Thai massage offers something quite different from a conventional table massage.
Thai Massage Isn’t Just About Pressure
During Thai massage, I combine techniques such as compression, gentle rocking, positioning, movement, and assisted stretching.
Instead of asking you to perform another workout or stretching routine, I help move your body for you.
For an active person, that can be a very different experience from stretching alone.
When you stretch yourself, part of your attention is still devoted to maintaining the position, balancing, deciding where to move next, and controlling the movement.
During Thai massage, you get to be the recipient.
I support your body and guide the movement while you communicate with me about what feels comfortable.
What About Weight Training?
People who lift weights sometimes assume that massage needs to be extremely deep or painful to be worthwhile.
I don’t agree with that.
More pressure is not automatically better, and a productive massage doesn’t have to become another endurance test.
If you’ve been doing squats, deadlifts, presses, pulling movements, or other resistance exercises, we can work with areas that feel tight while also incorporating movement throughout the session.
Depending on your individual needs, that might include work involving the legs, hips, shoulders, chest, back, or other areas.
The goal isn’t to compete with your training.
It is to provide a different kind of experience for your body.
Runners, Hikers, Cyclists and Other Active People
You certainly don’t need to lift weights to enjoy Thai massage.
Running, hiking, cycling, martial arts, recreational sports, physically demanding work, and many other activities repeatedly ask the body to move in particular ways.
Thai massage allows us to explore movement in ways that may be quite different from those repetitive patterns.
I can move one leg at a time, work with the hips, incorporate gentle rotation, stretch different areas, use compression, and then move to the upper body.
The session can involve much more of the body than simply concentrating on whichever muscle happened to work hardest that week.
Do I Need to Be Flexible?
No.
You don’t have to prepare yourself for Thai massage by becoming flexible first.
That would be a little like saying you need to clean the house before the housekeeper arrives.
I work with the range of movement you comfortably have.
If your body moves farther one day, wonderful.
If it doesn’t, that’s fine too.
Thai massage isn’t a flexibility competition.
You Stay Fully Clothed
For traditional Thai massage, you remain fully clothed throughout the session.
I recommend comfortable clothing that allows easy movement—something similar to what you might wear for yoga, stretching, or a relaxed workout.
Because there is no need to undress and no massage oil is required for most of the session, Thai massage can feel particularly natural for people who are accustomed to exercising and moving in comfortable clothing.
Should I Schedule Thai Massage Immediately After a Hard Workout?
There isn’t one schedule that is appropriate for everybody.
The intensity of your exercise, how your body feels afterward, your health, and the kind of massage we are planning all matter.
If you are extremely sore or exhausted after unusually strenuous exercise, that may not be the moment to request the most intense massage or stretching possible.
I would rather know how you’re feeling and adjust the session accordingly.
Massage should respond to what your body needs that day—not to a predetermined idea that deeper or harder is always better.
Massage Is Not a Substitute for Medical Care
There is also an important distinction between ordinary post-exercise tightness and an injury.
If you have sudden or severe pain, significant swelling, loss of function, numbness, weakness, or another concerning symptom, don’t assume that you simply need a massage.
Appropriate medical evaluation may be necessary before receiving massage.
I am happy to work with active clients, but massage is not a substitute for diagnosing an injury.
Your Workout Doesn’t Have to Be the Only Way You Move
Exercise often has a goal.
We count repetitions. We track miles. We increase weight. We watch our pace. We measure progress.
Thai massage asks something different of you.
For a while, you don’t have to accomplish anything.
You don’t have to lift the weight.
You don’t have to hold the stretch.
You don’t have to reach a particular distance.
You can simply allow someone else to move and work with your body.
For people who spend a lot of their lives doing, that alone can be a rather wonderful change.
— Tone D. Jackson, LMT
Thai Massage Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico