Sports Massage
Sports Massage for General Fitness
When you have a great workout, your next exercise session is only as effective as the efficiency of your recovery process. Sports massage helps you restore mobility and increase your range of motion. The relaxation that results from a sports massage also hastens the recovery process.
Some athletes have a 15-minute sports massage a few hours before an event. Many use it as a substitute for static stretching, a topic that has become quite controversial in the sports medicine arena. Massage releases muscle tension without overly lengthening the muscle. You are relaxed, but fully functional.
Physiological Benefits of Sports Massage
DOMS is an acronym for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, a phenomenon that often results from extreme physical exertion. During competition season, events might be scheduled only one or two days apart. As an athlete, you do not have time for delayed onset muscle soreness. Sports massage improves circulation, which allows your blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to sore muscles. It helps break down scar tissue, and assists in the removal of lactic acid, one of the waste products of intense physical activity. The entire process alleviates pain, and increases your readiness for the next event. If you happen to incur an injury, some forms of sport massage hasten the healing process.
Sports Massage for Anxiety Reduction
Pre-competition anxiety can mentally paralyze an athlete. Paralysis, whether mental or physical, has a negative impact on performance. Anxiety triggers negative self-talk, which eventually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In addition to anxiety reduction, some of the movements used in sports massage are highly invigorating. Invigoration encourages a positive attitude, exactly what you need to win your game!
For similar articles, read Physiotherapy.
