Here at Supersonic we have two lovely Level 3 & 4 Sports Massage Therapists – Beth and Nat. Many of our members who have never had a sports massage before often ask us what are the benefits of sports massage? And, that million dollar question, is sports massage painful?!
We caught up with Nat & Beth for a low-down to the benefits of sports massage and why it benefits everyone, not just seasoned athletes!
The Benefits of Sports Massage
- Removes toxins from the muscles – this is through increased muscle blood flow and lymph flow
- Helps with reducing muscle tension. Adhesions and scar tissue can build up over time and cause muscle tension, sports massage helps to break down this scar tissue and adhesions.
- Alleviates muscle pain
- Helps to prepare you both physiologically and psychologically for sports events or training
- Leaves you feeling a positive sense of well being, relaxation, and lowers stress levels
- Can also help improve your sleeping pattern
The sensation from a sports massage will feel different to each client as it depends on the individual’s specific condition, injury, fitness level and various other factors; but here’s the key thing….. it doesn’t have to hurt to be effective. At Supersonic, we adapt our massage techniques to fit the needs of each client who walks through our doors, ensuring clients feel comfortable and happy with the service they are receiving, in addition to making sure we achieve their desired outcome and they leave feeling relaxed.
How Does Sports Massage Work?
It is likely that our sports massage therapist will focus on a specific area of the body once a consultation form has been signed prior to the treatment. When arriving at your consultation, we perform a couple of assessments include a range of movements that will allow your therapist to observe your posture & symmetry, flexibility and mobility of muscles and joints, along with your range of movement through passive, resistive and active movements.
Once our professional therapist has carried out the initial assessment, the massage begins. During the massage, the therapist is trained to find your pain threshold and work just below it – therefore, this won’t be a strained experience. They will use a variety of techniques but predominantly myofascial release to stretch the fascia (a hollow fibrous network of connective tissue that surrounds the organs, bones, muscle and tendons within the body). These can become hard and lose elasticity, reducing an individual’s flexibility. This is caused through bad posture such as slouching, not stretching regularly (we’d recommend a yoga class for this) and over-working the muscles by not having rest days from the gym.
There are 3 main techniques used:
Effleurage – long stroking of muscles to warm them up at the beginning of a massage
Petrissage – deep pressure by kneading and using the knuckles
Trigger points – finding a sore area and applying pressure to relieve lactic acid
Along with these methods, wax oil is used to prevent friction and allow for smooth movement along the area being massaged.
By manipulating and stretching your muscles during a sport massage, it will relax the fascia and tissues, helping increase the client’s flexibility and motion. This is beneficial for increasing your range of motion, allowing for deeper squats and lunges, as well as speeding up muscle recovery. Nat and Beth both use techniques which are very versatile and can be used in various ways to help you improve your lifestyle.
What To Do After A Sports Massage
It’s important to drink plenty of water afterwards to drain the lactic acid system and flush out the toxins released as part of the massage. Why not also try the recovery zone? Setting the experience shower on the coldest setting and applying ice from the shoot will reduce muscle swelling (cryotherapy), and the heat from the Finnish sauna or Infrared sauna will assist in restoring muscle tears and increasing blood flow.
Finally, Beth and Nat recommend booking a massage every 4-6 weeks for the most effective results – if you decide to book regularly, our block bookings of 5 or 10 may be best for you as these include a discount.
Our massage therapists believe sports massages are for everyone. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from it. We support a huge variety of people with our treatments, including people with chronic pain and those simply wishing to relieve tension and stress in their body and mind.
If you wish to enquire and book a massage with one of our professionals, simply email transform@supersonicfitness.co.uk or call us on 01904 929 540. You will be put in contact with one our excellent sport masseuses who will guide you through the process of a consultation and recommend the best booking time for you.