Compared to traditional massage, sports massage often uses deeper, more intense and more targeted pressure to speed up recovery, help sore muscles and prevent injury.
A trained therapist will tailor the massage to your favourite sports activity or the muscle groups you are working on. Sports massage can often be complemented with other forms of therapy, deep tissue massage, trigger point treatments, acupressure, compression, cross and lymphatic drainage.
Sports massage helps to identify areas of weaker soft tissue or muscle, which can then be strengthened with appropriate exercise to prevent them from breaking down. It can help to restore the body's basal fitness more quickly and reduce recovery time after hard training.
Although sports massage is aimed at people who regularly put a lot of strain on their bodies through strenuous exercise, it can also benefit others. If you are always running after small children or your job is physically demanding, regular sports massage can help. Doctors often prescribe it to treat the spine, relieve muscle tension or as part of a rehabilitation programme for people who have suffered an injury of one kind or another.
Sports massage is not intended for relaxation and pampering, as its primary purpose is to speed up recovery from exercise and help prevent future injuries. You may feel a little tired or sore after it, so it is advisable to take some time off from exercising.
