Having been a Personal Trainer for several years, I made the decision to branch out and study sports and remedial massage. I have personally experienced the benefits, having injured myself through repetitive exercise and not carrying out crucial warm ups and cool downs prior to training sessions. Sports massage treatment affects the body on several levels, namely physical, physiological and psychological. It can make the difference at top level sport between victory and defeat, it can prevent many injuries and where they do occur, sports massage, when used correctly, provides an ideal environment for motivation and confidence when returning to sport after injury.
AN INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS MASSAGE VIDEO
TAKE A LOOK
AN INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS MASSAGE VIDEO
TAKE A LOOK
I took the opportunity to study Sports Massage when I was living in Australia, which proved an informative and inspiring experience, in a country which places great store in healthy life styles for all ages and makes huge investment in national and international sport. On returning to the UK I continued my education and became a fully qualified Sports Massage Therapist in 2011.
Sports massage offers the following benefits:
I use a portable massage table, which allows sessions to be carried out in the convenience of your own home.
Greater emphasis is now placed on mobility work, with foam rolling and stretching both prior to and post training. However, the intensity of some training sessions places so many demands on the body, and is so strenuous, it requires more than mobility work and regular massages could, and should, play an integral part in combating the stress of heavily exercised muscles. This applies both to the novice, unused to stresses on the body, and those who train at a more advanced level, where regular pummeling of the body takes a toll. This leads to painful constriction, as a result of decreased blood flow and oxygen to the muscles and loss of flexibility.
Sports massage has an important role to play in mobility, which can have a massive impact on your progression in fitness and sport. This applies to all levels of fitness and sport participation. Examples include:
- Tight hip flexors as a result of a sedentary occupation
- Cyclists who undertake long distances will find it has a detrimental effect on muscle groups necessary to carry out squat exercises.
- Sitting at a computer screen for long periods can restrict wrist mobility, which in turn affects arm positioning for front squats
- Exercising for specific sports, i.e. crossfit or bootcamps can cause tightness in neck/shoulders. An overhead workout or tight calves could cause problems such as this from practicing skipping double unders or running and sprinting.
Whilst sports massage does not negate the importance of regular stretching and mobility work, a combination of these is the most effective strategy, combined with good recovery, (rest and nutrition) to help ongoing improvement. This is particularly important with age, when our bodies have to cope with other challenges.
There is a commonly held misconception that all massage involves an element of pain, but depending on the level of massage, it can be enjoyable experience.
Sports massage techniques include:
STR
(Soft tissue release)
MET techniques
RI
(Reciprocal Inhibition)
Stretching Techniques
Deep Tissue Massage
Appointments are available
Monday to Friday - 6.30am to 9.00pm
Saturday - 8.00am to 10.30am
Saturday - 8.00am to 10.30am
With Valkyrie Personal Training and Massage, you can benefit from sports massage in the comfort of your own home in Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington and all surrounding areas – contact me for more details by calling on 07973 483314 or send me an email via the contact page by clicking here.
