Have you ever heard of a sports massage before? Whether you're a beginner athlete or elite competitor, these types of massages are amazing in treating your muscle tension and pain after an intense workout or game. It's reported to have a host of benefits that can help in improving the way you play and perform, making it a popular choice for anyone who plays sports or does intense workouts.
However, what are the exact benefits a sports massage has to offer? Read on as I show you the five benefits of sports massage that everyone should know!
What Is a Sports Massage?
Let's first get into what exactly a sports massage is and how it works:
This is a systematic manipulation of your body's soft tissues, focusing on muscles which are relevant to one's sport or exercise. It's not a new type of massage, having been used by athletes in the 1920s.
There are many different movements and techniques that are used in a sports massage, from kneading, stroking, compressing, adding friction, vibrating, stretching, and even focusing on trigger points. With the use of these movements and techniques, it will help relieve muscle pain while improving one's performance and physical conditioning, lessening pain and injury while quickening recovery. It's the reason why many athletes choose to have this kind of massage before or after training or a game.
We know that these massages are catered for athletes and exercisers, but what exactly does it do to benefit them? Here are the main benefits it has to offer:
I'm sure that after a strenuous time of training or an intense game, you'll be feeling pooped and expecting a ton of pain n the next few hours. These can last for days, depending on how intense you've moved around for. However, if you choose to of a sports massage, it can help improve your recovery, quickening it while lessening the soreness you'll feel. A study shows that this massage has decreased the delayed-onset muscle soreness by 30%, which is a huge help!
A sports massage will be able to relieve the muscle tension you may feel after training. It's normal for athletes and exercisers to feel knots around their muscles because of overusing them. These are called adhesions, which are tight and tender areas that can cause pain, limited mobility, and inflammation.
Through targeting these adhesions by using direct pressure, it will signal your nervous system to relax, alleviating the tension and pain felt. That way, you are able to perform better without the discomfort or limited movement.
Like mentioned, adhesions in the body limit the way your muscles and joints move, either causing pain or not being able to move as properly and with flexibility as expected. If you have tight joints, may it be shoulders or your hips, having a sports massage will be able to target those stiff muscles. That way, you'll be able to have better range of motion and strength which will help in your workouts or sports games.
Using a foam roller is quite beneficial before training, as this can help lessen the knots and muscle tension felt to perform better. However, the roller is only able to target the large and broad muscles, not being able to reach the nooks and crannies of all your joints. A massage therapist will be able to target the small muscles and adhesions to lessen the tension, using their thumbs, palms, elbows, and even their fingers to apply pressure!
Last but not the least, a sports massage is definitely a great way to start or end a good training session or game. After all, after a long day of pushing yourself and stressing yourself out from all the work, a massage will be able to alleviate both psychological and physical stress felt. Think of it as a nice break from everything as your muscles heal and your mind drifts off. Having one or two sports massages a week can help loads!
Wrapping It Up
While there are different kinds of massages out there, the sports massage caters to athletes and exercisers out there, filled with benefits that help improve performance and lessen the pain felt. With a good masseuse, you'll be able to reap its many benefits!
I hope that this article on the five benefits of sports massage that everyone should know informed you of what it can do! So don't wait any longer and check if you can find a Sutherland sports massage or one near you now!
If you have any questions or want to share your experiences with a sports massage, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Sagar Mandan is HR and Writer at Techssocial. He likes to share his knowledge by means of writing articles on news, tech, health etc. He likes to stay with family and friends when he is free from work.