Sports Massage is a form of massage that utilizes specific strokes to help athletes obtain maximum performance and physical conditioning by increasing power, endurance and mobility - both before and after an event or exercise. Sports Massage is particularly beneficial when an athlete is in training for an event.
It's also helpful for anyone who routinely stretches physical limits through movement. Swimmers, weight-lifters, golfers, ball players, skaters, dancers, tennis players, musicians, and boxers, as well as weekend warriors and those who practice strength training or aerobics, have benefited from sports massage.
Sports Massage is generally used to help improve athletic performance. Most often, the Sports Massage is focused on the muscles and tissues used most in the athlete's sport, i.e. runners focus on their legs and hips. The techniques used in Sports Massage include those used in Deep Tissue, Reiki-ssage or Swedish Massage. Athletes have different massage needs at different times. There are three basic categories:
PRE-EVENT ~
A quick treatment (rhythmic pumping) is a supplement to your warm-up.
It boosts your circulation and increases your flexibility and range of motion, thereby
reducing any muscle pain and soreness, leaving your muscles relaxed and ready for action.
Pre-event massage can help you prevent muscle and tendon injuries and reduce the
strain and discomfort of training. It also can be a great psychological
advantage in your competition.
POST-EVENT ~
Recovery after a competition involves not only the normalization and
repair of tissue, but also general relaxation and mental calming.
Post-event sports massage increases circulation to quicken the removal of
fatigue toxins, relieve muscle spasms and prevent soreness. It is used to
assist athletes in recovery and in regaining their pre-event condition by
relaxing tight, fatigued muscles, tendons and ligaments.
TRAINING ~
Throughout training and rigorous regular athletic activity, massage helps
prevent injuries. Areas of muscular stress can result from repetitive or
stressful motion and are typically precursors to injury. Sports massage
assists in relieving muscular stress and preventing injuries, enabling harder
and more consistent training. Adequate recovery is also a major factor in
avoiding nagging minor injuries that inhibit maximum performance.
Sports Massage can accelerate your healing process, increase your range of motion, reduce your adhesions, and reduce your swelling, bruising and pain. Areas of stress in other muscles, created through compensating for an injury, can be eased with a regular sports massage regimen. Sports Massage can partially compensate for lack of exercise during inactivity while recovering from injury. Sports Massage is also used to relieve muscular spasms and fatigue-related injuries.
Sports Massage is more than just a reward at the end of a workout. It is a vital tool for keeping athletes primed for top performance and even lengthening their careers. Recognized as an important part of a regular maintenance program, sports massage is widely used by individuals, teams and Olympic and professional athletes.