Benefits of Sports Massage

Sports massage is a special massage as it manipulates the soft tissues systematically, focusing on different muscle groups as well as tendons and ligaments. Obviously, if you are a runner, you will benefit in a different way to a tennis player, for example. The benefits of sports massage are that the masseur (or masseuse) will target muscle groups that are being worked on for a specific sport. Of course, all other muscles will also be addressed with the massage but particularly the muscles used in that sport.

8 benefits of sports massage include:

1. Increases sports performance
2. Increases flexibility
3. Reduces fatigue
4. Relieves muscle tension and pain
5. Scar tissue realignment
6. Enhances micro circulation
7. Pain inhibition
8. Scar tissue realignment

Often a sports massage requires a qualified sports therapist or a registered massage therapist who has also specialized in sports massage. This is because, unlike other massage forms, a sports massage is given to release muscle tension and to restore balance to the whole muscle system in your body. Sometimes this can be painful or at least uncomfortable. That said, the benefits of sports massage can be enormous. They can include physical improvements but also physiological as well as psychological benefits. This type of massage is not only for people who have sports injuries, although it can help immeasurably in such a case, but it can really help people improve their sports performance.

This type of massage focuses on the areas of the body that have been under pressure because they are being overused. This is just one of the reasons that professional sports people have regular massages. It keeps their body toned with special attention to muscle groups used a lot, often very aggressively, but it is also excellent to in preparation for sports events. This means you are doing everything you can to keep your body in the very best shape. On the other hand, it can reduce recovery time during training or after a sports event. If you are injured, it can help strengthen your body to cope better and recover faster.

In a 2010 study, it was found that even a 30-second massage can improve the hip-flexor range of motion. This is because sports massage is able to target muscle-tendon junctions. Another study determined that athletes who had a massage before or after exercising didn’t have such sore muscles.

You can also benefit from this form of massage even if you are not interested in sports. If you have chronic pain, injuries (past or present) or have a restricted range of motion, a sports massage can help you. It will also stimulate blood circulation as well as lymph fluids. If you have knots in your muscles, a trigger point therapy can be used to break down adhesion.

Whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend jogger, you should enjoy the benefits of sports massage and include it in your training regime at least once a week, if not more.