subject: Defeat Stress And Promote Healing By Means Of A Soothing Sports Massage [print this page] Sports enthusiasts - from occasional joggers to practicing professionals - are touting the benefits of sports massage therapy. This type of massage is getting increasingly popular among participants of virtually every sport. Some of the benefits they enjoy as a result of a sports massage include:
More flexibility and range of motion;
Enhanced endurance with reduced tiredness;
Less chance of injury due to loosening of the muscles;
Competing at their highest level possible;
Decreased time required to recover between exercise sessions;
More nutrients and oxygen in the body as a result of better blood circulation;
Reduction of unwanted toxins that the body produces from strenuous exercise.
Sports massage is increasingly being included as an essential part of a complete workout routine that includes not only the exercise involved, but also for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur in any strenuous activity. Anyone who incorporates this type activity in their daily schedule will benefit from a sports massage program designed to match their activity level.
Our muscles tend to lose their capacity to relax after heavy exercise, resulting in tight muscles and a loss of flexibility, which can cause muscle tears and pulls. A regular routine of sports massage therapy has proven to be quite effective in combating these - and other - ailments of muscles that have been extended to their limit. But the goals of sports massage therapy are different at various stages of sports activity and competition as follows.
Prior to the event: Studies have shown that athletes who receive a sports massage prior to a sporting event improve their muscle tension and their equally-important mental health in a shorter amount of time. Pre-event sports massage therapy is designed to prepare the major muscles that the athlete will be using.
During a sporting event: The massage technique used during a sporting event is designed to insure the ultimate in performance with low-risk training. Just as each different sport uses different muscle groups in different ways, the sports massage technique will differ as well.
Post-event: Sports massage performed after a competition is geared toward reducing the muscle spasms and metabolic build-up that occur with vigorous exercise. A post-event sports massage involves not only tissue repair, but also general relaxation and mental calming.
Sports massage therapy for overtraining: Sometime athletes don't allow their bodies to rejuvenate themselves between training sessions.
Irritability, a change in an athlete's appetite, and an increased number of injuries are all signs that your body may be overworked. A sports massage helps relieve these symptoms by putting it in a state of total relaxation.
Maintaining an athlete's body: Everyone knows the importance of maintenance and athletes have found that engaging in a regular program of sports massage therapy is an excellent tool. Incorporating sports massages into an athlete's normal regimen significantly decreases the possibility of serious injury at all stages of a competition.
Rehabilitation Massage: Even with preventive maintenance, muscles tend to cramp, tear, bruise, and ache; a sports massage can speed healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process. Performing a sports massage during the secondary phases of healing can improve the formation of strong and flexible repair tissue during rehabilitation.
