When should YOU book a Sports Massage?
Good Question!
In short…NOW!
With just over a week to go you should be well into your training plan and preparing for the world’s biggest half marathon with your last long run coming up. Or for those who have just started to train and attempt to “wing it”, now is the time to prepare for the big day. Nutrition, clothing, footwear and recuperation.
So, you are running more miles than ever, your muscles ache, you feel niggles in your knees, hips, ankles and even back, these are early warning signs. Don’t ignore it get booked in for a Sports Massage NOW!
Why let all the hard work stop you in your tracks before the race itself or worse, starting the race and having to pull out as that niggle, that tightness has now become an injury.
Elite athletes such as Mo Farah get regular sports massage, sometimes daily (remember these are conditioned athletes) as massage helps them with:
- Increase joint mobility and range of motion by reducing tension
- Increase elasticity and suppleness
- Relieve tightness, stiffness and muscular spasms
- Increase circulation and blood flow to aid recovery
- Increase lymphatic drainage (remove waste products)
- Aiding the nervous system
- Decrease pain
- Improved psychological state
All this helps them train and perform better. For the rest of us we go to work, then cram the miles in when we can, often when we are tired – neglecting how our legs feel.
We Panic! Have we done enough miles? Or too many? So, the more we run the more stress we put on our muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves etc.
We need to recuperate. Then we can train better and smarter and race easier.
The best time to get a deep tissue sports massage is 2- 3 days either side of a long run say once per week at least. The weak of the GNR anytime up until the Thursday is good. After that the massage would be lighter.
Post Massage is recommended the day after a race, although this would be a light flush, 2 days after a deeper massage is recommended.
Suggested Types of Massage for a runner:
MAINTENANCE SPORTS MASSAGE
Applied throughout training and competition schedules.
Aims to maintain muscular elasticity and suppleness by reducing muscle tension, which also reduces tension on our joints. Therefore, decreasing the opportunity for muscle injuries to develop, preparing an athlete for peak performance.
As it is within the training schedule, it will aid recovery, allowing an athlete to train at a higher intensity and frequency, while reducing injury risk and muscle soreness.
Pressure is normally firm using different techniques such as Swedish massage, myofascial release, PNF stretching, frictions and trigger point therapy.
PRE-EVENT MASSAGE
It can be used up to 2 days or 2 minutes before an event. Uses a shorter duration (7-10 mins per body part, 20-25 min whole body). Fast pace is used to create focus and mental alertness as well as stimulating the muscular and nervous system
It will be specific to your sport (e.g. for runners – focus on legs). It does not replace the warm-up.
Key Effects: increased blood flow, muscle temperature and muscle contractibility and tone.
POST EVENT MASSAGE
Aims to help the body recover from exercise and sporting activity. Similar to a regular maintenance massage, it aids athlete recovery by promoting circulation and lymphatic drainage. Usually light pressure massages up until two days after a race then can get deeper.
Key benefits: reduce DOMs severity, help remove waste products, normalise body temperature, blood circulation and muscle function.
For all your SPORTS MASSAGE needs, YOU know where to go – Newcastle Sports Injury Clinic offer a number of massage therapy services from experienced and qualified therapists, perfect for YOUR Great North Run training.
BOOK NOW – Call us on 0191 233 0500.
