Gold Coast Massage
Sports massage was originally developed to help athletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance before an event, as well as aiding recovery after an event or during training. Sports massage emphasises prevention and healing of injuries to the muscles and tendons.
What Sports Massage Does
Sport massage focuses on breaking down adhesions (knots in the muscles), to increase the range of motion, as well as stimulating circulation of blood for quicker recovery.
Sports Massage Technique
Pre Event Sport Massage assists in increasing blood circulation to the muscles to allow the muscles to be flushed and oxygenated. Tight muscles may be relaxed so the joint can move better through the full range of motion, with an emphasis on the muscle groups used for the certain activity about to be undertaken. Sports massage improves performance and reduces the risk of injury. Additionally, the athlete can use this time to relax & mentally prepare for the event.
Before giving a Pre event sports massage there are some important questions:
- What type of event is the athlete competing in?
- Is the athlete required to have lightning fast reactions for the event?
- Does the athlete’s sport allow the use of oils or lotions during pre event massage?
- Is the athlete required to be loose prior to the event (boxing)? Relaxed (bowling)?
The pre event sports massage should only be 15-20 min long. Because not every person is the same, we all respond differently to massage – so it is a good idea to choose a therapist during training so that the therapist has time to get to know your muscles and how they respond. I recommend finding a massage therapist at least a week or 2 prior to the event. Don’t book your 1st pre event massage the day of the big event!
Post event sports massage dramatically reduces the recovery time and the intensity of delayed onset muscle soreness. Post event sports massage can also be used after heavy training. The goal of post event sports massage is to increase circulation to help the body remove metabolic by-products and lactic acid build up, as well as to lengthen tight muscles.
A Post event sports massage should be given at least an hour or two after the event and should last about 10- 15 min then 5 min brake then 10- 15min again.