Having regular sports massages is really beneficial for all kinds of training – ideally you want to be having maintenance massages every 4-8 weeks but dependant on your training schedule, this may be sooner e.g. every 2-4 weeks if training for a race or particular event. Sports massage (also known as ‘deep tissue’ massage) is very different to a regular ‘Swedish’ massage because instead of light touch we get a bit deeper into the muscles, stripping away the layers and really making sure we get to those tight spots and ‘niggles’ you might have.
The main benefit of having regular sports massages is injury prevention. By having a sports massage (as well as stretching, foam rolling and practising strength and mobility at home) you are increasing the elasticity of your muscle tissues which also helps with flexibility, breaking down any scar tissue or adhesions in the muscles, relaxing the muscles and also encouraging lymphatic drainage and venous return – this helps massively with blood flow and speeding up recovery from an injury and keeping your immune system well. Having regular sports massages therefore keeps your muscles nice and loose, decreasing the risk of pulling or tearing something by not allowing anything to get too tight.
Sports massage encourages the breakdown of lactic acid and carbonic acid which builds up in your muscles during and after heavy exercise. Improving circulation whilst having a massage eliminates these which is why it’s really important to drink plenty of water after having your massage to flush them out of the body. Also improving circulation during massage enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles getting your ready and prepped for that next training session!
Sports massage prepares you for your best performance by reducing inflammation, relieving tension and reducing muscle fatigue. If you have any pain, sports massage is a really good way to relieve this through the increase of blood flow and getting rid of the tension that builds when carrying out strenuous exercise.
Not only does sports massage help you in all these ways in terms of the physical side but it also helps mentally, allowing you to take some time to yourself to relax and gain a clearer mind so you can focus on your next session or goal and be ready to smash it!
Our clinic is open 7 days a week; book a treatment with either Kaisha or Ash using any of the booking links on our website.
- Kaisha
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