How Massage Therapy Can Help corporate/weekend Athletes
I am lucky to count quite a few sports personalities as clients (can’t tell you who! sorry!), in the fields of golf, football, tennis, trail running, and they all take the time to build massage therapy into their training plan, upping the ante as we get closer to an event. So when is a good time to get massage as part of your routine? What difference can it make to that couch to 5K plan you are going through, or even that half marathon coming?
In the past, I have had comments from clients after they have competed, saying that they felt cheated as they finished the race and felt ok! I don’t know how many of you reading this have first hand experience of being a marathon finish line, but it IS like a battle zone. Bodies everywhere, people being sick, sometimes blood (blisters on feet, men with chaffed nipples… OUCH!!!) its not glamorous at all.
The biggest things that I treat people for at the finish line of a race are dehydration, and sometimes sunburn. I have often had strange looks as to why I have a cool box full of yoghurt with me!
While Training:
It’s normal for new aches and pains to pop up when you start a new activity. More aches may present themselves as you work to increase your endurance and strength. Regular massage can help you stay ahead of any issues that could slow down your training. Massage therapy keeps you in touch with how your body feels so you can adjust your training as needed and stay on track.
Before a Race or Game:
Are you feeling anxious about a big upcoming race? A massage can help calm your nerves and has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress. Many athletes use massage before and after a competition to make sure they’re feeling relaxed, confident, self-possessed, and ready to conquer before, and then to aid in recovery after. After all, so much of what we do as athletes is a mental game. It makes sense to train your muscles and your brain, right?
Here’s the kicker though: Like a tough workout, massage can sometimes leave you feeling sore or achy. And that’s totally normal. But this means that you don’t want to get a deep tissue massage the day before your first marathon. I would recommend a week before so that nothing interferes with you race. As a therapist, I wouldn’t do anything super heavy or technical with a client before a big event as I don’t want to do anything that would change the way a client moves.
To Aid in Recovery:
If you’re a weekend warrior on the court or on the track, you’ve probably experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness. It’s that awful stiffness and pain you feel in the day or two after vigorous exercise.
Massage therapy can help reduce that stiffness and get you moving through your day faster and with less pain. After running a Marathon I would recommend cold showers (or as cold as you can make it!) to take the heat out the muscles, then book in for a massage a couple of days afterwards. Getting a massage the after a race, the muscles can be super sensitive and fatigued so its good to focus on stretching and mobility for the days after, to cool your body down. Keep moving though!!!
For the Long Term:
Generally, massage can help improve your performance as an athlete- even if you just do it to have fun or stay in shape. Massage can help in exercise and athletic participation in so many ways, including the following:
● Reduce muscle tension and increase relaxation
● Monitor muscle tone and improve exercise performance
● Increase range of motion and improve soft tissue function
● Support recovery of heart rate and diastolic blood pressure after exercise
● Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue
● Improved flexibility
● And even decrease the risk of injury when massage is regularly performed
Working with a qualified massage therapist can help you learn more about how your body works. You can prevent injury by making the muscles more pliable. And a massage therapist who knows what they’re doing will cater their massage techniques to the specific kind of work that you are doing in the gym or on the track, to keep the muscles you are using in tip-top shape. Also, massage is NOT something to be endured. Sometimes, and only sometimes, I need to be a bit of a cow to get tensions out of a muscle or ease off a junction that has got all crammed up, but apart from that, deep tissue work does NOT have to mean its painful. There is no need for it.
Whether you’re working towards a marathon or a Crossfit competition, or you just love getting sweaty and getting stronger, it’s time for us to chat, and let’s talk about how tailored and targeted massage sessions can make a huge difference in how you approach your favorite hobby. Looking to hit a new PR, or trying to build muscle mass? I can help you get there.
Onwards!