Elite athletes put their bodies through a tremendous amount of stress when they train to be competitive in a particular sport, and they can't let muscle soreness and fatigue hold them back. Neither can the weekend warrior. When we engage in any challenging physical activity – from competitive swimming to pumping iron at the gym – we are actually breaking down muscle, which triggers the body's response to repair and rebuild the damaged tissue. The body's response to stress on the tissues is how we build new muscle and get stronger, but it is important to realize that we are putting stress on the body and we need to be cognizant of how we care for our bodies before and after intense workouts.

Massage therapy, especially deep tissue sports massage, can help mitigate a great deal of the damage we athletes and weekend warriors do to our bodies in our attempts to get fit and be healthy and strong. In addition, regular deep tissue massage can enhance our performance and protect us from injury. Everyone knows that massage promotes both physical and mental relaxation, but deep tissue massage delivered by a skilled professional also has a wide range of other important benefits, including:

Increased range of motion and flexibility: Deep tissue massage releases stiff muscles and increases circulation to stressed tissue, loosening and relaxing the tissues so that they can extend through their full range of motion. Having flexibility and full range of motion in our muscles decreases the chance that we will pull or strain a muscle, which can be a long-term injury.

Improved posture: Stressed muscles can become tight in certain areas causing the body to be out of alignment, which can result in poor posture. By releasing stiff muscles, deep tissue massage can aid in improved posture, which will dramatically improve sports performance. It will also encourage natural alignment of the spine and kinetic chain, resulting in fewer injuries and imbalances.

Promote healthy tissue: Massage greatly increases the health of soft tissue by increasing blood flow and lymphatic fluid to stressed tissues, promoting faster muscle recovery. Muscle repair and recovery is directly related to circulation of blood to the tissue – the more blood flowing to the tissue the faster it heals. By increasing circulation, massage dramatically speeds recovery time.

Improved mental focus: Massage aids in mental relaxation, which can improve your emotional outlook and focus. Any elite athlete will tell you that mental clarity and emotional balance is nearly as important as strength and stamina. Regular massage will help relax your mind and prepare it for physical challenges.

Injury prevention: You know what they say about being better safe than sorry – even if you haven't yet experienced a sports-related injury, chances are you will. Sports injuries can not only have lasting physical results, but they can also take you out of the game for an extended period of time. By keeping the muscles limber and supple, deep tissue massage can help protect you against injury and ensure that your body remains in optimal heath so that you can keep working towards your fitness goals.

Now that you're convinced of the benefits of regular deep tissue massage, you should know that a massage is only as good as the massage therapist. If you are seeking therapeutic sports massage for an injury, injury prevention or enhanced athletic performance, make sure you choose a professional who understands sports massage and who has the credentials and experience to meet your needs. Contact the professionals at Alliance Healing Arts to make an appointment with one of their professional massage therapists and see how much better you can feel... in and out of the game.

Contact Alliance Healing Arts
info@alliancehealingarts.com
206.632.5500