Sports Massage: Enhancing Athletic Performance
Sports massage is good for just about anyone, regardless of athleticism. However, there is a good reason it is called sports massage. There are some significant benefits sports massage provides specifically to athletes, because its techniques are designed to help them achieve peak performance. Let’s take a closer look at this type of massage, how it differs from other types of massage, and how it can help you as an athlete.
The Origins and Benefits of Sports Massage
Sports massage originated as a technique meant to help athletes condition their bodies. It was used to enhance performance at athletic events and prevent muscle injuries during training. However, these are just the beginning of what sports massage therapy can accomplish. It can also help decrease the occurrence of stiff muscles after exercise, help you develop a greater range of motion, and lessen muscle swelling. It is a great addition to the workout routine of anyone attempting to reach a fitness goal, because it helps improve exercise efforts and strengthen athletic performance.
Mechanisms and Techniques of Sports Massage
How can a massage do all of that? Regardless of your sport, massage therapy can mechanically stimulate muscle reflexes to tone the muscle and prevent adhesions. This improves flexibility, as well as range of motion. Additionally, sports massage therapy can reduce muscle fatigue by removing the build-up of lactic acid and toxins in the muscles, alleviating pain and tension. The manipulations used in sports massage help improve circulation, which in turn improves oxygenation, supplying essential nutrients to muscle tissue and helping the body eliminate toxic waste more effectively. Finally, massage increases the level of endorphins in your bran, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, and promotes relaxation. It helps you declutter your mind, so that you can focus on performing at your best level.
Customizing Sports Massage for Athletic Needs
Sports massage differs from other types of massage because it is a more targeted therapy. Often it targets a specific problem in one area of the body, though sports massage can also be a full-body massage. There are different types of sports massage available, and how you utilize them depends on your sport and your event schedule. You can have sports massage as regular maintenance, a light flush massage to increase circulation and help you warm up before an event, or a recovery massage, the day after an event or game. Ideally, you’d have a sports massage session before and after intense exercise.
At Pledge To Fitness®, we offer a holistic approach to wellness, with personal training, massage therapy, and nutrition coaching to help you reclaim your energy, passion, and motivation in body, mind and spirit. Results of The Pledge System™ are guaranteed, and our team is committed to giving each client the expert care, personal attention, and motivation needed to develop and maintain physical energy and resilience. In addition to crafting a well-rounded wellness plan for you, our coaches craft an individualized program based on your physical condition and goals, designed to meet your needs and work with your budget and availability.
Our skillful coaches and personal trainers are required to hold higher credentials and complete more hours of work with clients than professionals in similar facilities. As a Pledge, you can use your sessions as you need, with no requirement of purchasing more sessions for massage therapy or nutrition coaching. We guarantee you will get results, and we are committed to helping our clients improve their wellness levels, meet their goals, and build sustainable habits that allow them to keep their results forever. For more information or to book a free session, call 713.405.7420 or contact us through our website.
