Getting fit and staying fit involves more than just getting your workouts in (although that is a huge part!), it also involves eating healthy and taking care of your body on all levels & if you are working out on a regular basis sports massage is definitely something you should be doing to ease the strain on your body. So whether you are a professional athlete, a fitness enthusiast or just an overall active person, the benefits of regular sports massage are extremely important to overall health & fitness.
Does Sports Massage Improve Performance & Recovery?
Many elite athletes consider sports massage an essential part of their training and recovery routine. These athletes report that a sports massage helps them train more effectively, improve performance, prevent injury and recover quickly. Historically, competitive and professional athletes have been some of the biggest proponents of sports massage. Today, a growing number of massage therapists offer therapeutic sports massage and many recreational athletes enjoy the benefits of sports massage on a regular basis.
What is therapeutic sports massage?
Therapeutic sports massage is a type of massage technique that focuses on treating soft tissue aches, pains and injuries that are associated with recreational activities. Massage can reduce muscle stiffness and improve relaxation by reducing heart rate and blood pressure.
While many athletes are convinced of the physical benefit of massage, research on its effectiveness is also accumulating. Massage involves applying mechanical pressure to the soft tissues and this has been linked with improved muscle flexibility, increased range of motion in the joints, and decreased muscle stiffness. Recently, research has shown that deep massage after an intense workout actually causes muscles to enlarge and grow new mitochondria. Mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, are responsible for converting nutrients into useful energy.
The pressure of massage may also improve blood flow and increase muscle temperature, massage also reduces heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. All of these things as well as reduced anxiety and improved mood may indeed give athletes physical and psychological benefits.
For most athletes and physically active people, enjoying less muscle stiffness and improved relaxation and well-being is reason enough to enjoy regular massage and as research continues to grow on the real physical benefits, more and more people will be taking advantage of this feel good training method!
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