Post-Event/Vigorous Exercise Sports Massage

Firstly, let’s get the basics down of what sports massage is;
It is a form of deep tissue massage that is mostly focused on releasing tension and breaking down muscular adhesions brought about by physical activity. Muscle adhesions, also known as ‘knots’ commonly occur where there is greater demand or stress on that part of the muscle. During exercise, minor injuries (tears) occur due to overuse.The body then heals, producing stronger and additional muscle fibres. It is during this healing process that the fibres 'stick' together forming a tight bundle. This leads to an in-efficient muscle as the individual fibres are unable to fully contract or stretch out. Furthermore, blood flow to the area becomes restricted, reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery and removal of waste products.

The primary purpose of post-event sports massage is RECOVERY. The massage usually takes place 0-24 hours after vigorous exercise. Immediately after a race light massage is very helpful, if you can brave it. The massage lasts approx 10-20mins as the muscle will be very stressed, any deep tissue massage could actually be more damaging than beneficial. The pressures applied are modified to provide a soothing effleurage - the pace is slow, rhythmical and gentle.

The Good Stuff:

Flush out waste products i.e. lactic acid built up during exercise, through the promotion of blood and lymphatic flow.
Fresh oxygen and nutrients delivered to tissues vital for repair.
Reduce swelling and promote faster healing of soft tissues.
Reduce the risk of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) meaning a quicker return to training.
Relax. Massage is a wonderful way to relax after an event and gives you time to mentally recover from the event. Helps return the muscles to a relaxed state. Also an excellent way to improve mood, reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and increase the feel good chemicals i.e. dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins.
Help an athlete with their cool down routine; this is especially good after an event when an athlete is often too tired or excited to cool down properly. We're all guilty.
Post event massage can also be that first assessment for potential injuries and more serious medical conditions (heat exhaustion, hypothermia), which may be identified early and treated promptly.

To optimise full recovery recommended things to do post massage:

Stretching
Foam Roll

Active recovery - light exercise

Self-massage with a hard ball (trigger point ball, hockey/cricket ball) WARNING, it is OUCH!

Heat - hot water bottles or microwave bags, or even just adding layers of clothing after exercise. Keep those muscles nice and toasty.

Comments

Miracle cure for your lower back pain...?

This week we're talking about the infamous lower back!! Most of the adult population have suffered some sort of lower back pain at one point...(shock horror it's probably those chairs' fault again!!)People are constantly on the hunt for this magical exercise/stretch that will fix everyone's lower back pain, but it doesn't exist!! Firstly everyone is slightly different, what works for one person won't work for another. You'll most likely have to go through a few different exercises to see which is best for you. Secondly, we're constantly told our lower back is this fragile thing and we shouldn't move it in a way that would seem to aggravate it - your back is a muscle just like your quads, it needs to be worked, it should be strong (not weak like most of ours because we don't use it). We have to learn to move without the fear of doing damage to it. Say you've gone to the gym and tried a new workout which included a few Deadlift variations. Th...

Importance of Fascia

Fascia is EVERYWHERE! The fascial web covers the entire body. This connective tissue both facilitates and restricts movement! SPIRAL LINE - is the link between the shoulder and the ankle of the opposite leg. Like a sling across the body. If you have a restriction along the line both 'ends' will be negatively affected. e.g. shoulder tightness (problem) = poor flexibility in the opposite ankle and hip. Imagine a tightly knitted jumper, tug one end you'll see the tug travel a long distance to the other end. Like a domino effect. This time pull on it again but hold for 8 hours (amount of time a lot of us sit @ a desk) or pull on it 2000 times (average steps done on a light run). The outcome? Well the jumper isn't going to look how it started out. Fascia just like all other connective tissue can change in response to stress/injury. Just as tendons thicken in response to repetitive motion/lifting heavy - fascia may also thicken. This leads to stiffening and red...

Perfecting the press up!

The press up is a staple in any body weight/calisthenics routine, providing a (basic) pushing movement for the upper body. Just about everyone knows what a press up is, and while it may be a simple/basic exercise, it is by no means an easy one. When performed properly the press up works more muscles than you think. Primarily it targets your chest, front of your shoulders and triceps. However, in order to keep your body controlled and balanced, press ups also activate your lats, core and glutes. There are countless variations of press ups and because of this, form will vary between them and the points below will not apply in all situations. However, for the standard press up the following points on form and positioning should be applied: Hands, fingers facing forward, should be just below and slightly wider than your shoulders, in line with the middle of your chest. The muscles in your upper back and neck should be relaxed and shoulders down away from your ears. ...

GRIP

Search This Blog