The Importance of Sports Massage to Runners
Recently I signed up for my first 5K race, sonI had running on the mind. I know for me personally, if I run regularily, after a week my lower legs especially become quite sore. They feel very sore to have massage but if i dont I start to develop tendonitis on the inside of my ankle. After a few short treatments of muscle stripping my lower leg, I can run longer with less pain.
What is Sports Massage?
Sports Massage is a special form of massage that is typically used before, during, and after athletic events. The purpose of sports massage is to prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries.
The main difference between sports massage and other massage techniques is that it directly targets and reduces tension in muscles and joints that are affected by athletic use and injury.
Why Sports Massage is Important To Runners
Sports Massage is especially important for runners who run more than 35 miles a week. The more miles you run, the more strain your muscles are under and the more beneficial sports massage is. Incorporating sports massage into your training schedule will help you train optimally.
Sports Massage is important to runners for many reasons:
Reduces muscle inflammation
- Reduces muscle soreness
- Sports massage helps reduce soreness by flushing out the lactic acid that is produced while running. Lactic acid can build up in muscles and cause soreness over time.
- Reduces muscle tension
- Promotes muscle flexibility
- Sports massage promotes muscle flexibility by removing lactic acid.
- Increases muscle recovery time
- Removing lactic acid through massage increases recovery time.
- Increases mental alertness and reduces muscle fatigue
- Decreases your chance of developing a muscle injury
Massage immediately before and after an event will also help reduce the muscle spasms that occurs with vigorous exercise.
No comments:
Post a Comment