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Sports Massage Benefits and Techniques
The Ultimate Water Massage system grew out of the professional sports therapy
field.
Sport Massage therapy has grown to become an integral part of the new
athletic regimen from after school athletics to Olympic training.
At the highest level of performance, Sport massage can provide an extra edge
to the athletes. Sport Massage has become a necessary ingredient for a complete
workout. A complete workout routine includes not only the exercise itself, but
also caring for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with
strenuous movement. The holistic nature of Sport massage make it an ideal
complement to a total conditioning program.
Anyone who routinely stretches their physical limits through movements such
as running, hiking, swimming, dancing, strength training or other physical
activities will benefit from a sport massage. There are others who engage in
strenuous activities during their daily routines that are not normally
classified as exercise but who also benefit from sport massage due to the extent
of their activity level. High activity levels are often experienced by
construction workers, gardeners, mothers with small children and others who use
their bodies strenuously in their work.
Adding sport massage to your conditioning program lets you get into good
shape faster, and with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster
from heavy workouts, and reduces conditions which may cause injury.
A professional massage therapist is not always available but we have added a
line of professional percussion massagers that are ideal
for sport massage.
Muscle soreness a day or two after exercise may be caused by a wide array of
factors. A few of the causes are minor muscle or connective tissue damage, local
muscle spasms that reduce blood flow, or a build up of waste products the
muscles. Massage can reduce this though the improved blood and lymphatic system
circulation that assists in the removal of metabolites and other toxins.
The Ultimate Water Massage system is particularly effective in the treatment of
this type of soreness.
Heavily exercised muscles may also lose their capacity to relax, causing
chronically tight (hypertonic) muscles, and loss of flexibility. Lack of
flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes you to injuries,
especially muscle pulls and tears. Blood flow through tight muscles is poor
(ischemia), which also causes pain. A regular routine of massage therapy
is very effective in combating these effects of heavy exercised muscles.
Traditional western (e.g. Swedish) massage is currently the most common approach
used for conditioning programs. However massage therapy with a heavy
percussion component and a focus on trigger point release may have a higher
benefit ratio for athletes.
The Benefits of Sports Massage
Regular sports massage can:
- Reduce the chance of injury, through the loosening of connective tissues
and muscles.
- Improve the range of motion and muscle flexibility,
- Shorten recovery time between workouts;
- Increase the supply of nutrients and oxygen through improved circulation;
- Enhance the elimination of toxic by-products of exercise.
Basic Goals
Pre-Event
Prepare an athlete or physically active person for vigorous movement
Create a relaxed state of suppleness within the tissue
Provide a tissue warm-up over multiple planes of motion experienced at
full effort
Post-Event
Facilitate full muscle relaxation to lower local metabolic rate and
increase circulation
Use gentle motion and techniques to avoid triggering a spasm in fatigued
muscles
Training
Maintain overall tissue suppleness
Early intervention of developing problems in specific muscles and tissue
Rehabilitation
Freeing of adhesions and unaligned scar tissue in specific sites of
injury
Strengthening and neuromuscular retraining to promote correct muscle
balance
More on
Sports Massage
When you don't have a Massage therapist or partner available - Try these
tools for an outstanding self massage experience
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