What is a Sports Massage?
The aim of sports massage is to reduce the stress and tension that can build up in the soft tissues of the body during exercise. This form of massage is used to:
- improve movement
- improve performance
- reduce the chance of injury
- reduce recovery time after an injury
Sports massage is designed to help athletes before, during and after training. It is useful for anyone who exercises to increase flexibility, prevent injuries and help with healing after a sports injury.
Sports massage is specifically tailored to different sports and sporting injuries. It is not a relaxing form of massage and can often be quite strenuous. It works by stretching tight muscles, stimulating inactive muscles and improving the condition of the soft tissue.
Sports massage is very effective at treating soft tissue injuries such as strains, sprains and stress within muscles and around joints. It helps to return muscles to their correct range of motion which can become misaligned through playing sport, exercising or work related posture.
A sports massage helps the body recover from the stresses of exercise and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning. A sports massage helps improve blood and lymph circulation, muscle relaxation and general relaxation. Sports massages also help to flush out waste products and better cell nutrition. The effects of sports massage adds up to the relief of soreness, stiffness, increased flexibility and less chance for future injury. Sports massage is a beneficial treatment to help muscles recover, prevent injuries and prepare the body for future exercise.
Muscle tightness can limit flexibility, increase pain and cause future injuries. Sports massage helps release muscle tightness. A sports massage helps increase blood flow through tight muscles, break down inflexible tissues and stretch out muscle fibres. Using a sports massage regularly to relieve tight muscles can help reduce the chance of injury and maximise performance.
