As an athlete (or just the occasional gym-goer wanting to lose weight), you’re no stranger to stiffness and sore muscles.
You’re tired of being in pain, and want to learn more about how massage can help. But offering you relief from aches and pains isn’t the only reason to get a sports massage.
In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about some of the biggest benefits of getting a sports massage.
Whether you’re able to see a massage therapist once a week or once a month, we promise that you’re going to feel better and see a serious difference in your performance.
Read on to learn how taking care of yourself by getting a massage for athletes will improve your game.
1. Increases Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits of sports massage?
It seriously increases your flexibility.
Yes, you can do certain stretches and exercises to become more flexible. However, especially if you’re a professional athlete, we’re willing to bet that you don’t always have time to stretch both before and after every practice and game.
This means that your muscles, over time, become stiff and inflexible — even though you’re nearly constantly physically active. This happens because of overuse without proper recovery.
Of course, the more flexible you are, the less likely you’ll be to sustain an injury on the field or the court.
2. It Improves Blood Flow
Another reason to get a sports massage?
It actively increases blood flow — and therefore the supply of oxygen — to your body. This means that you’ll be able to enjoy a faster recovery time after an intense game or workout. You’ll also get the benefit of a serious boost to your immune system.
When your circulation is where it needs to be, you’ll also find that you’re not as short of breath as often as in the past. You’ll also see an increase in your athletic performance.
3. Get a Better Night’s Sleep
About 43% of people say they have serious trouble getting a good night’s sleep.
If you’re an athlete, then you know firsthand just how much a poor night’s sleep can impact your overall performance.
A massage for athletes can help to promote healthier and even more consistent sleep patterns. This is because massage relaxes the muscles. This leads to less pain in the evenings, which can certainly keep you awake at night.
It’s also been shown to have psychological effects. As a student-athlete, finding a study-sports balance can be tough. So, if you’re awake at night worrying about tomorrow’s game, or beating yourself up because of a bad test score, it makes sense that you’re not relaxed enough to sleep.
Try getting a massage to relax you both mentally and physically.
4. Protects Against Scar Tissue
Especially if you’ve been an athlete for many years, you’re likely to develop internal scar tissue.
This is caused by adhesion in your body’s muscles — clusters of muscle fibers that may eventually require you to have surgery.
Believe it or not, deep tissue sports massage can help alleviate this issue. During a deep tissue massage the scar tissues in your body are actively broken down.
Then, they can naturally repair themselves, coming back stronger and preventing those muscle fibers from forming a dangerous cluster. Find out more about both deep tissue and sports massages to see if getting one is the right choice for you.
5. It Eliminates Toxins
You’ve been reading a lot about cleanses and detoxes lately.
Are you interested in the ideas they promote?
With how much you need to work out every day, you can’t exactly survive for three days on hot water and lemon. Interestingly enough, a sports massage can actually mimic the effects of a detox.
How does it work?
It works by draining out toxins like lactic acid and even an excess of calcium. These are the things that actually form the so-called “knots” inside of your body.
Just make sure that both before and after your massage that you drink plenty of water. This encourages your body to flush out the toxins eliminated during the massage even faster.
6. Offers Pain Relief
Let’s face it — as an athlete, pain is something that is always going to be a part of your life.
However, it’s all about finding the best ways to manage and reduce that pain.
Massage therapy for athletes can absolutely help. It will help you not only with identifying pain points, but also in getting near instant relief from that intense pain.
7. Allows Your Body to Absorb More Nutrients
You always watch what you eat and look for foods that offer excellent nutritional value.
But you might not know that a massage for athletes can also help your body absorb more nutrients and minerals.
This is because, thanks to a greater level of blood flow and circulation, your tissue will be able to absorb more nutrients. Plus, it will also help your body to be able to get rid of metabolic waste quickly.
The takeaway here?
In addition to eating healthy, make massage a part of your regular routine.
Are You Ready to Schedule a Sports Massage?
We hope that this post has helped to convince you that you should definitely schedule an appointment for a sports massage.
Whether you’re a hardcore athlete or just tired of aches and pains, we know you’ll love the results. Of course, massage is just one form of self-care that will offer you relief both physically and mentally.
Looking for more advice on how to stay healthy, happy, and productive?
Keep checking back with our blog to learn more about how to live your best life. Whether you’re an athlete, a full-time parent, or still in school, now is the time to unlock your full potential.
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