Best Types of Massage for Athletes

Like any normal person, athletes also need to relax their body once in a while. Thought it maybe a bit difficult for them, given their schedules and work out requirements, but regular massages help them maintain their body and physical fitness. Massage are a popular way to increase the efficiency and efficacy of an athlete.

Why Athletes Need a Massage?

A lot of people wonder that with so much exercise and workout athletes may not need a massage. But, regular massages are important to identify the current literature relating to the sports massage and leave a positive effect on an athlete’s psychological readiness.

Massage enhance their performance and help them to recover from the cramps they get from excessive exercise and stress of competition. An athlete needs to have a relaxed mind and body to be quick, vigilant and observant.

There are many other reasons due to which going to regular massage sessions becomes necessary for athletes. They get a lot of in – ground injuries including muscle pull or a sprain which need treatment with massages.

It is important to understand that if an athlete delays his or her massage for muscle soreness, it can become a permanent problem and then the athlete may not be able t o give the same level of performance.

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Following are some of the major massage techniques that can be beneficial for all kinds of athletes.

Active Release Technique –

Active release technique is also known as A.R.T. this massage technique is based on the combination of different pressure intensities that help reduce scar tissue buildup and relieves muscle adhesion.

The massage therapist will evaluate the tightness, texture, and mobility of soft tissues and then work accordingly to break the adhesion. Muscles are moved with the help of hands at a certain direction and pattern to the stiffness if relieved. It is a preferable type of massage to treat specific injuries.

The massage promotes the ability of the body to heal itself. Shin splints, hamstring injuries and planta can be treated with this. If you have shin splints.

Shiatsu Massage –

Shiatsu massage is derived from Chinese medicine. It involves a lot of stretching, mobilization and manipulation of joints and muscles. This massage technique promotes the joints lubrication so athletes can perform efficiently. The overall health of an athlete is the key to success.

You’d be surprised to know that you can stay fit with a massage chair too because there are many chairs available in market that provides better Shiatsu massage than therapists. Shiatsu massage helps to remove the energy blockages and increases the efficiency of major body functions, promoting overall health. There are different styles of shiatsu massage, which can be chosen as per the patient’s requirement.

Swedish Massage –

Swedish massage is recommended for runners. It is more of a relaxing and pampering massage. It stimulates the blood circulation and strengthens the muscles. It utilizes flowing and long strokes of various pressures to release the muscle tension and increase blood flow.

It runners can recover the muscle tension after hard workouts and tough competitions. Lighter strokes relieve the muscle tensions without damaging them. A Swedish massage will help an athlete re-energize and relax.

Trigger Point Therapy –

Trigger point therapy targets muscle knots and specific muscle tissues. The massage therapist will find the knots in the muscles and work on it using deep pressures. The high intensity of pressure will loosen the adhesion and relieve the referred pain.

Just like A.R.T., it is best to treat injuries and sprains. IT band tightness, hamstring injuries and calf strains can be treated effectively with trigger point therapy.

Deep Tissue Massage –

This is one of the most common types of massages applied on athletes. It targets all the superficial and deep layers of the muscles and fascia. These are intense massages, as they are more focused. Unlike trigger point therapy, deep tissue massages focus on new problematic areas and work on entire muscles.

Athletes often have tight spots and interconnected tissues; deep tissue massage is the modality of choice during hard training and stressful exercise.

Frequency of Massage –

The number of times an athlete must go for a massage depends on the muscle stress and the level of muscle fatigue. However, it is not necessary that an athlete takes a massage only when in need, but they can take a massage just for relaxing their mind and body so they can focus on their technique and performance in a better way.

All of the above massage types are good for athletes. They must consult with their therapist to find out the most suitable massage type.

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