Discover the benefits of sports massage

Maintaining good health is important and requires daily care. To achieve physical and mental health, healthy eating, adequate sleep, regular physical activity, stress and anxiety management and good interpersonal relationships are key factors.

As far as physical activity is concerned, we know that choosing the right footwear and clothing, warming up and staying hydrated have all an impact on performance and recovery. But few people incorporate sports massage into their daily routines to achieve and maintain a good physical condition.

Whether you are a professional athlete, or you practice sports just for personal pleasure and benefit, sports massage offers a series of health and fitness benefits. The aim of sports massage is to improve the preparation, maintenance and recovery of any practitioner of sports activities.

What does sports massage consist of?

Sports massage is a form of massage that involves manipulating soft tissue to benefit a person engaged in regular physical activity.

This massage technique consists of a set of musculoskeletal manipulation techniques, pressure levels, mobilizations and stretching, which will focus on specific parts of the body.

Benefits of sports massage

• Increase blood circulation

• Increase muscle temperature (pre-workout)

• Increase circulation and eliminate toxins that form in the muscles after exercise

• Improve joint mobility

• Break down adhesions and scar tissue, which build up over time and cause tension

• Relieve muscle tension and soreness after training

• Prevent and treat muscle and tendon injuries, preventing them from becoming chronic

• Reduce tiredness

• Get a positive sense of well-being and reduce stress

• Improve sleep patterns

The classic form of massage, Swedish massage, uses stroking movements to release tension and promote relaxation throughout the body. In contrast, a sports massage focuses primarily on the areas most vulnerable to injury or stress. Runners and cyclists, for example, may need work on their legs, while tennis players may benefit from a focus on their shoulders and arms.

There is a misconception that sports massage is only for elite sportspeople.

In fact, it is beneficial for anyone who leads an active lifestyle, from professional football players, amateur tennis players, runners to casual cyclists and all recreational athletes. Quite simply, anyone who wants to move more and be less sore after exercise will benefit from sports massage, which is a great tool to improve range of motion, reduce muscle tension and prevent injuries. For this reason, it should be seen as a complementary activity to training, such as food or supplementation.

Thordis Berger

Chief Medical Officer - Holmes Place