For athletes in Lakewood Ranch, massage can be the key to excellent recovery and next-level performance.
Many of us are athletes in one form or another. Whether you’re eyeing a college scholarship, aiming for a triathlon PR, or just trying to keep up your pickleball wins or keep down your golf score, there’s no shame in trying to be your best. And while our culture tends to emphasize effort, repetitions, and “putting the time in,” it’s just as important to your performance that you prioritize recovery.
I’ve written recently about using Bradenton massage specifically for recovering from sports injuries. However, I also want to examine how athletes from around the world and at all levels, including the most elite, utilize massage to promote performance and even lower the risk of injury.
In our area, our mild weather and beautiful outdoors encourage all kinds of athletic pursuits. Which means that from Sarasota to Bradenton to Lakewood Ranch, massage can help many of us pursue our favorite hobbies.
What is sports massage?
Sports massage applies a range of massage techniques to promote flexibility and healing before and after athletic activities. These techniques can include deep tissue, myofascial release, and passive stretching.
Sports massage can also be vital for athletes recovering from injury and trying to return to their sport.
When I’m working on an athlete of any level, I apply my knowledge of physiology in order to focus on areas that are important for their particular sport or sports. However, whole-body health is also an important focal point for athletes, and some muscles that might seem underused in particular activities—like arms for running—are actually incredibly important for balance and movement.
Just as weight training for any sport should incorporate exercises for muscles throughout the body, so too should sports massage include activity-specific and whole-body modalities.
When should I get a sports massage in Lakewood Ranch?
When and how often you schedule a sports massage will ultimately be a decision you make by consulting your massage therapist as well as your own body. For incredibly active people as well as those who are recovering from injury, it’s not uncommon to perform two or three massages a week in order to keep the body operating at its peak.
In some cases, athletes prefer a massage prior to their sport in order to promote circulation and loosen joints and muscles. This approach can be key for preventing injuries.
Others utilize sports massage soon after their activity to flush lactic acid and kickstart the healing process.
Ultimately, the decision will come down to your needs as well as those of your body.
How does sports massage help athletes?
There are a number of ways sports massage in Lakewood Ranch is benefitting athletes:
· Promoting overall rest and recovery: The same relaxation that everyone experiences from a massage is also an important part of athlete performance. It’s vital that athletes get adequate sleep and general rest time for the body to be at its best.
· Preventative maintenance: So many athletic injuries are caused by tight muscles and limited range of motion. Sports massage lengthens muscles and promotes flexibility so that your body can do what you’re asking it to do.
· Muscle recovery: Everyone who’s active knows what it is to be sore after your activity. Lactic acid buildup in the muscles, as well as microscopic tissue tears, lead to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Sports massage helps to flush out the lactic acid buildup while promoting circulation to speed up the healing process.
· Injury healing: Injuries happen, even to the most athletic, most prepared athletes out there. Recovery is vital to get you back in the groove ASAP and lessen the chance of reinjury.
Lakewood Ranch sports massage keeps us in the game!
You live in this area for a reason. We have excellent outlets for all kinds of activities. Sports massage helps keep your body in tip-top shape so you can enjoy the Lakewood Ranch lifestyle!
