You have to keep the muscles warm and moving. This is why I also emphasize stretching with my patients–to get rid of the lactic acid and drain the lymphatic system. All the by-products of muscular metabolism end up stagnating in the muscular tissue. Stretching forces the contraction and relaxation of the tissues so that the tissue gets rid of its own debris and sends it through the lymphatic system for removal. That’s why people who are sedentary tend to have more physical issues than ones who are not sedentary-the tissues aren’t moving and draining waste products into the lymphatic system. We take waste products away by muscular contraction. Massage therapy is a method that aids in that drainage.