Whether you are a recreational athlete, a professional athlete, or just like to stay active, you know the importance of taking care of your body. And what better way to do that than with sports massage? Sports massage is a beneficial and powerful therapy for any athlete. If administered correctly, this type of massage therapy has been proven to show positive results for athletes having problems with muscle pain, recovery after an injury, prevention of injuries, and much more.
Here are five benefits of sports massage:
1. It helps enhance athletic performance and endurance
One of the top benefits of a sports massage before exercise is increased blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This helps increase the range of motion and flexibility during training and allows athletes to compete more effectively. A good pre-exercise sports massage can also help with anxiety and stress levels, which can be beneficial before a big race or competition.
2. It helps speed up recovery from injury and improves tissue repair.
One of the most critical factors in sport or injury recovery is rest. However, sports massage can be used as a rehabilitation method to speed up the recovery process. Sports massage stimulates blood flow around the body, which helps to reduce swelling and speeds up the healing process. It also helps relieve pain and stiffness by breaking down scar tissue that can form after an injury.
3. Reduces muscle tension and pain
Whether your muscles are overworked or tight from being inactive, sports massage can help relieve tension and soreness in your muscles and joints. Trigger points are tight bands of tissue that form when a muscle is overworked or injured and do not relax properly afterward. Sports massage therapy helps you reduce muscle tension and pain by loosening trigger points or knots in your muscles.
4. Reduces stress
Stress reduction is a primary benefit of sports massage. When an athlete receives a sports massage, it decreases the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This is important because these stress hormones lead to increases in muscle tension, reducing athletic performance. Sports massage also increases endorphins in the blood, which are natural mood enhancers.
5. Helps Prevent Injury
Sports massage helps prevent injury by loosening tight muscles, reducing swelling and inflammation, making scar tissue more flexible, relieving spasms and nerve compression, and improving blood flow.
The effects of sports massage therapy are cumulative, so the more often you receive a sports massage, the better your results will be. The best way to get maximum benefits from your massage therapy sessions is to schedule them regularly; you’ll experience long-term pain relief and increased flexibility.
Book A Sports Massage At Avid Sports Medicine In San Francisco
At Avid Sports Medicine, our goal is to aid and help athletes stay healthy, perform better, recover faster, and reduce their risk of injury by practicing effective Sports Massage. Our mission is to provide high-quality sports medicine solutions to all athletes, including athletic training, chiropractic, and physical therapy.
Visit our website to schedule a free consultation where we will provide more information on our services and how they can best suit your needs.