Connor Gaston Hire The Best Sports Massage Therapist Using These Very Easy Methods
Connor Gaston Hire The Best Sports Massage Therapist Using These Very Easy Methods
Blog Article
Sports Massage For Marathon Runners
Athletes can use massage to help reduce muscle soreness, increase range of motion and enhance overall running performance. However, it is not a replacement for a well-rounded training program.
Incorporating sports massage into a runner’s routine helps maintain optimal soft tissue health, identifying and treating tight spots before they become more severe injuries. It also aids in preventing injury by speeding up recovery and helping the body adapt to intense workouts.
Relieves Stress
Running is a high impact activity that puts stress on the muscles and joints. Massage is one of the best ways to help improve muscle strength and care for the joints as they’re taxed during training. It also reduces inflammation to aid recovery.
Incorporating regular sports massage into a marathon training plan can significantly enhance injury prevention and post-run recovery. The benefits of massage for runners also extend to improving flexibility, decreasing muscle soreness and helping prevent long-term injuries like plantar fasciitis.
The ideal time for a massage is the evening after a run, especially if it’s a deep massage or uses methods like Active Release Technique (A.R.T). This allows the muscles to recover fully from the hard workout and will help you feel back to normal sooner. It’s also a good idea to get a maintenance massage before a big race, so that your body can absorb the stretch and recovery before competing.
Prevents Injuries
As a high impact activity, running places considerable stress on muscles, joints and bones. This makes proper strength training an important element in reducing risk of injury. Regular massage improves flexibility and enhances the range of motion in the joints. This can help to prevent overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis that can be so debilitating for runners.
Massage also improves circulation which reduces muscle tension and helps the body get rid of metabolic waste products that build up during hard exercise. Lighter massage strokes known as effleurage can relieve muscle tension without damaging the fibres, especially during the days leading up to a marathon.
Research importance of hydration after a sports massage has shown that massage significantly speeds up recovery time for the muscles after a marathon or a tough training session. It also significantly reduces the intensity of delayed onset muscle soreness. In addition, sports massage can promote the production of endorphins which are the body’s natural pain killers. This can be a useful alternative to taking pharmaceutical painkillers that may have side effects.
Relieves Pain
As you can imagine, long-distance running puts your body under a lot of stress. This can be psychological stress from the fear of failure or the worry over everyday issues, as well as physical stress from repeated workouts and movement. Massage relieves both of these types of stress, helping the muscles to relax and reducing the chance for injury.
During the session, the therapist will locate the knots and areas of referred pain and use deep pressure to loosen the muscles. This will help alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by long training runs and races.
Sports massage also promotes circulation and lymphatic drainage, which expedites muscle recovery and reduces inflammation. In addition, it can help eliminate metabolic wastes that build up in the muscles. This is why it is important for runners to drink a lot of water after a session. This will flush out the toxins that were released during the massage.
Relaxes the Mind
The stress of marathon training can lead to a number of physical symptoms including tightness and even injury. Regular massages can help to balance muscle groups and reduce the likelihood of injury.
When combined with good stretching and a nutritious diet, massage can provide a comprehensive approach to a runner's injury prevention program. This can be especially beneficial during the final weeks leading up to a race as it will highlight any areas of imbalance and identify niggles that might develop into an actual injury.
As a general rule, it is best not to have a massage the day before or directly after a race or marathon as this can leave muscles feeling sore and fatigued. However, a therapist can offer some helpful tips for reducing this risk, such as having a light massage session with long flowing strokes (known as effleurage) and drinking plenty of water afterward to help flush out the muscles and release any toxins.