Sports massages are renowned for soothing aches and pains for athletes and sports people. An effective treatment, sports massages not only relieve the common swelling and pain that many face post-event but can speed up your recovery time, getting you back into gear. But there are some lesser known physiological and psychological benefits to a sports massage that make them an essential treatment for any budding athlete pre- and post-event.
1. Prevent injury
Have you heard of DOMS? Delayed-onset muscle soreness? Or have you thought about the consequences of being injured during your next jogging session? Or even preventing stiffness if you’re sat at a desk all day? It may not be something you think about, but you certainly should be! Sports massages can be a great preventative measure to reduce the risk of injury, whether you’re training or repeating the same movements all day. Promoting flexible muscles and joints will massively reduce the chances of pulling a muscle or injuring yourself.
2. Improve circulation
By releasing tension in your muscles and joints, massage encourages increased circulation of your blood and lymphatic systems. Your lymphatic system is essentially a mechanism to detox your body and flush out toxins, metabolites and lactic acid that can often build up. Increased circulation of your blood helps improve the flow to vital tissues in your body. Improved circulation also increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients so improved circulation is great for your general health!
3. Aid muscle memory
If you’re a regular sufferer of tight, knotty muscles, then a sports massage could be just the treatment you are looking for. Muscle memory means your body retains a memory of a movement or action. We can see this in daily life where you’ll still remember to ride a bike or swim, even if you haven’t partaken in years; it’s a sort of automated action that your muscles have remembered. Increased tension on your muscles during training can cause them to forget their relaxed and elongated positioning. So in relation to sporting activities, helping your muscles with their memory will aid their relaxation, keeping your muscles loose and supple.
4. Relaxation
It can’t be denied that while sports massages are great for your muscles and body, they can be a little sore. However, our sports massage therapists are well equipped to deliver a more gentle, relaxing massage. Research shows that massage therapy can decrease your cortisol levels while increasing your serotonin and dopamine levels – the positive hormones. Offering a pure detox of your stress, and boosting your self-confidence and wellbeing, they are proven to aid your mind-body awareness and induce a feeling of calm. Any professional masseuse will make you feel tranquil yet ready for a new challenge.
5. Enhance sleep quality
Reduced stress and anxiety can have a massive impact on your general wellbeing. But regular sports massages even go a step further to improve your sleep. Recent studies suggest that massage therapy can aid the quality of your sleep and reduce sleep disturbances. This makes it the perfect accompaniment to your training schedule, helping you to relax in more ways than one.
