Do you have really tight muscles which make it hard and painful to move around or do the slightest stretch? When you have tight muscles, often people will also develop muscle cramps and have pain that impacts your day to day life. However, have you ever considered why you have tight muscles and what you can do to help improve your range of motion? Massage Miami Beach would like to share what can cause tight muscles and how to begin to safely stretch and improve your range of motion. This will move you toward a better quality of life.
Why are My Muscles Tightening Up?
Tight muscles can develop for a number of different reasons. As each person’s reasons for tight muscles vary, essentially tight a muscle is when the muscle isn’t able to relax. As a result, the muscle will have cramping, sharp pain and reduced range of motion. The human body has around 600 different muscles. Out of these 600 different muscles, you can group them up into three major categories: the skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles. The muscles that suffer from tightness is usually in the skeletal muscle group. The skeletal portion makes up about 40% of all the body’s muscles and are primarily responsible for movement. One of the primary reasons behind tight muscles or muscle tension is stress. Stress effects our minds as well as our bodies. Stress can prevent the muscle from returning to a relaxed state which over time will result in tightness. Muscle tightness can also develop due to high blood pressure, digestive problems and injuries. Dehydration is another major culprit to muscle tightness. The muscle is partly made of water, so when you become dehydrated, the muscle will feel tight as there isn’t enough water in the muscle. Muscle strain from having bad posture or prolonged activity will also lead to intense muscle tightness.
How Do You Recover from Tight Muscles?
For those who suffer from extreme muscle tightness, you know this is a problem you need to put time and energy into correcting. First, you will want to make sure you drink lots of water, especially if you do a labor intensive job or activities. Next you will want to dedicate time into warming and stretching the muscles. Never over stretch. Make sure you take your time and slowly deepen the stretch over time. Next you need to relieve physical and mental stress. Find ways to relax, especially at the end of a stressful work day. To relax both mind and body, routine massage therapy can greatly help you. Massage therapy is well known to be a stress reliever. However, it can also aid and heal muscles and help them relax. Some stressed muscles will require hands on approach. Massage therapy can work the muscle loose. Certain massage therapies such as trigger point or sport massage, is designed to relax the muscle to allow proper healing and prevent tightness that will only lead to more injuries.
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If you suffer from muscle tightness and need help, contact Massage Miami Beach. We can help relax both mind and body and help you reclaim better range of motion and your life.