From injury prevention to warm up to cool down, massage therapy can benefit every part of an athlete’s training program. Properly administered sports massage can improve your overall athletic readiness and treat specific problems that might be holding you back in your training.
Pain Reduction
Bodybuilding.com points out that massage can help reduce the pain from recovering injuries or tight areas of muscle. Massage also promotes the proper healing of scar tissue and provides a soothing effect to any injured areas.
Injury Prevention
During a massage, your muscles will be stretched and your joints will be moved through their proper range of motion. This acts just like a pre-event warm up. The massage ensures that your muscles are in a pliable state and that your joints are warmed up and ready to go. Limber muscles and joints at the start of your event help prevent injury during the physical exertion.
Relaxation and Focus
Sports Injury Clinic reveals that a massage can help you “bring it” to your game or athletic event. A massage decreases stress and increases focus, which can put you in a good psychological state before your event. The brisk movements incorporated into the massage can also leave you with a feeling of invigoration, which you can carry to the event.
Post-Event Recovery
If your muscles are sore and tired after a sports event, Sports Injury Clinic indicates that massage can hasten the healing process. The strokes of massage mimic the normal flow of the lymphatic and circulatory system, which drain wastes from the muscle tissue. Massage can help dissolve waste fluids such as lactic acid and lead to a shorter recovery time.
