Sports Massage is a form of massage specifically developed to help athletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance, enhance pre-event preparation and reduce recovery time during training or after an event. It can benefit athletes of every kind, from world-class professionals to weekend joggers, dedicated gym enthusiasts, martial artists, and anyone else who uses their muscles regularly.
What is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is a type of deep tissue massage that stimulates circulation of blood and lymph fluids and/or uses trigger point therapy to break down adhesions and trigger points (knots) in the muscles. The particulars of your therapist’s technique will depend on what sport(s) you’re involved in, your injury history and which parts of your body are feeling stressed.
You don’t have to be a professional athlete to benefit from sports massage, weekend warriors can help as well. It is also good for people with injuries, restricted range of motion or chronic pain.
Benefits of Sports Massage
Sports massage can be beneficial to all stages of an athlete’s training and performance regimen, from pre-event preparation to post-event recovery. Specific benefits include
• increasing blood and lymph flow
• increasing and/or restoring range of motion
• promoting increased flexibility
• reducing lactic acid to enable a faster recovery
• decreasing muscle tension and fatigue
• providing an overall sense of well-being psychologically and physically
• aiding in the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries
Overall, the message will help prepare the athlete for peak performance, promote flexibility, drain away fatigue, reduce muscle tension, relieve swelling and prevent injuries. Regular sessions can also help avoid those nagging minor injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement.