Sports Massage

Sports massage is used to reduce muscle tension, stress, and pain in athletes or exercisers. People may think that it is used only for athletes or sportspeople. However, the truth is, any person performing exercises can benefit from it.

It can be used pre-performance, during a training session, and post-performance for preventive as well as treatment purposes. A therapist uses different techniques such as compression, kneading, stroking, vibration, and gliding during therapy to help athletes or exercisers achieve maximum performance.

Benefits of sports massage

It has many physiological and psychological benefits. Some of the key benefits are:

Increase your muscle flexibility

Regular exercise and training can make your muscles tense and rigid. If you do not get rid of muscle rigidity on time, you may have mobility issues.

A therapist can use the right techniques, based on your sport or exercise, to relax your muscles and improve their mobility as well as flexibility. When your muscles become more flexible, you naturally start performing better.

Reduce stress

It is natural to become unable to perform your best when you are mentally or physically stressed. However, this massage can help you feel better by increasing the production of endorphins and serotonin in the body. It can also reduce the production of stress hormones that tense your muscles and put your brain in an alert state.

Repair muscles fast

The therapist can help you recover your muscle health fast. During a sports massage, pressure is applied to your muscles. It increases blood circulation.

As a result, more oxygen and nutrients become available to your muscles. It speeds up the muscle repairing process, decreases muscle soreness, and reduces the risk of injury.

Eliminate waste products

Waste products such as carbonic acid and lactic acid build up in soft tissues when they work extra hard. These waste products can slow down the healing process and make you feel muscle soreness for days.

During this massage, blood circulation increases, which helps you flush out waste products and reduce muscle irritation.

What to expect from a sports massage session?

It can be performed for different reasons. When you first visit your massage therapist, the therapist will ask you about your reason for the visit or your health concern. The massage therapist may ask you to make different movements so he/she can analyse your muscle flexibility and posture.

Once the issue has been diagnosed, they will design a unique treatment plan for you, depending on your issue. They will start working on a specific area of your body to help you speed up recovery or prevent injury. The duration of your massage will depend on what kind of treatment you are having. It usually lasts for up to one hour.

The bottom line

A sports massage is designed to reduce muscle tension, treat or prevent muscle injuries in athletes and exercisers. If you are a regular exerciser or a sportsman/sportswoman, you should contact a sports massage therapist to enjoy a sports massage's physical and mental health benefits.

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