It’s spring but it’s still nippy! Have you started running outdoors? With cold temperatures comes increased stiffness before and after vigorous exercise. Sports massage may be the perfect companion to your workout routine.

This type of massage is a combination of different therapies depending your personal needs. It can include techniques from Deep Tissue, Thai and Swedish massage. Since almost everything an athlete does is to condition themselves for better performance, it helps the body by receiving a tension-relieving massage after or before vigorous exercise. Some of the benefits can include: reduction in body swelling, more flexibility, injury prevention, pain reduction and enhanced performance.

Why does massage work so well? One of the things that hold many athletes back is “delayed-onset muscle soreness”, or DOMS. This refers to the common muscle pain that can develop several hours (or days) post exercise routine.  Recent studies have concluded that sports massage can help reduce and prevent the often-painful or debilitating effects of DOMS.

An Australian study, involving men and women performing a variety of physical exercises, concluded that massage played a key role in easing of DOMS by approximately 30% and reduced swelling. Massage does this by encouraging blood flow and lymphatic system circulation that can assist in the removal of toxins.  When preventive techniques such as sports massage are used, severe muscular strain may be avoided.

Sports massage is really preventative maintenance for the body. Like exercise, the benefits of massage are cumulative, and it is important to schedule them regularly. This is why many massage therapists recommend once every week or two.