Massage Improves Exercise

A recent study showed that massage not only increases the energy in your cells, it also reduces inflammation, which allows your body to recover and repair faster.

These factors are essential to improve your athletic performance and if you recover faster and feel better, you’ll be able to work more intensely and harder during your next routine.

Some benefits

Massage present so many benefits for athletes of all skill and activity levels, for example:

  • Help prevent injuries
  • Improve conditioning
  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Increase range of motion
  • Increase the rate of recovery
  • Enhance athletic performance
  • Improve exercise performance
  • Decrease muscle fatigue and stiffness

Some types of massages

Here we show you the most usual forms of massage, especially for athletes:

Sports

This kind of massage is used to prevent and treat sports injuries. It usually focuses on a specific trouble place, such as an injured ankle, toe, shoulder, or neck, and may include some assistance stretching.

Deep tissue

Typically this form of massage uses slow but powerful strokes to infiltrate the deepest layers of your muscles, treat injuries, and loosen knots. It is harder than sports massages.

Trigger point

This type of massage works the tightest muscle fibers that are created after overuse or injury. It uses cycles of pressure and releases to loosen the trigger point and causes pain that radiates to other body parts.

When to get one

If you want to get a massage, it is usually recommended to refrain from any strenuous activities within 24 hours after receiving a massage.

If you’re getting a massage to prepare for a sports event, such as a competition or a race, it’s recommended to get the massage 3 to 5 days before the event to allow enough time for recovery.

If you’re a high-performing athlete, you should get one once a week or at least twice a month. You may want to get it soon after exercise or on the night before a rest day so that your massage rehabilitation time doesn’t impact your exercise routine.

Consult a specialist

Even though massage can create positive effects on your ability to participate in sports and exercise, it’s still important to speak with a doctor or specialist before starting any treatment.

When you suffer an injury or significant pain after working out. A trained therapist can do a deep massage to relieve your pain and reduce bruising.