When do you need a sports massage?
Sports Massage is Not Only for Athletes
In the wake of the Olympics, I’ve been thinking about the athletes and their endurance, commitment, and perseverance. It’s quite amazing how they can do what they do! I’ve also been thinking of how they must need to take care of their bodies on a regular basis, such as how many massages they must need and what kind of treatments they use. How it would be so cool to work with them!
I’ve actually got quite a few amazing athletes as my own clients: ultra marathoners, bicycle racers who ride hundreds of miles per week, and of course all my strong Cross Fitters. Thinking of them got me thinking of all the various types of massage that I use for them at different times, and how people may think sports massage is only for athletes and that it has to be a very deep tissue, vigorous massage. That’s actually not true!
Athletes use “sports” massage four different ways and different methods are used for each one:
- The short massage right before the event, to get the muscles warmed up, stimulated and ready to go. This type of massage is good if you want to feel invigorated after your massage, rather than ready for a nap. This would be good for a bride on her wedding day.
- The massage about an hour after the event, to flush the muscles out and normalize the tissues. Maybe you played a random game of volleyball at the work picnic, or walked a 5k on a whim because your friends were doing it. This massage would work well for you to smooth you out and give some love to your shocked muscles.
- The massage that’s used to aid in injury rehabilitation, if needed. Everyone gets hurt at some point, whether from a slip and fall or stepping off the curb wrong. This type of massage usually uses a little deeper pressure and works at getting the adhesions to lessen. I’ll always check in with you on pressure to make sure it’s not too deep for comfort.
- The massage that’s used in between all of these, on a regular basis to keep the body working well in training, with less injury. Everyone needs this massage. This is the “I love my body and want to keep it in amazing shape” massage! It gets the blood and the lymph flowing.
So, whether you’re an Olympian, a weekend warrior, or a once in a while player, there’s a type of sports massage that can help your body.
I always love to help you to feel better and make a difference in your life, so please let me know what you need. Also, please tell your friends about me: if you refer 3 friends who book a massage, you get one free! You can book your next massage here.
Have a great week!
Carrie