If you’re training for a marathon, triathlon, or other endurance event you’ll be well aware of how far you’re pushing your body to help you become stronger, fitter and faster. As you progress with your training, you’ll start to feel aches and pains in your body as your muscles fibres recover and repair themselves.

Feeling aches and pains in your body isn’t an inevitable part of training. There are several ways to help reduce the stress you put your body under and one of these is sports massage.

Why are regular massages beneficial when training for an event?

Massage assists the cardiovascular system
Massage helps blood vessels in dilating and creates a more effective circulatory process. As a by-product of this, the body benefits from more fresh oxygen and interspersed nutrients which make their way to the tissues and muscles.

Massage can assist pain
A fully trained massage therapist will be able to diagnose most causes of training related pain, and provide the advice and massage necessary to help you overcome it. Massage is also known for its anti-inflammatory qualities, and could be said to be nature’s answer to Ibuprofen!

Massage releases feel good hormones and helps you to relax
The benefits of massage aren’t purely physiological, there are also psychological advantages. Massage brings your heart rate right down, inviting relaxation and decreasing anxiety. Massage also improves sleep – something that’s essential when training for any form of event!

Massage can break up scar tissue and free up movement
Whatever the event, it’s likely that your performance would benefit from having the most amount of motion in your joints. Massage can work on this, as well as break down scar tissue that could well be restricting the movement of your muscles.

Massage removes harmful waste products
Massage can assist the body in eradicating harmful by-products that are created because of exercise (such as lactic acid and other metabolic waste) – this aids recovery and decreases the chance of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Massage can also reduce muscle tension and overcome pain.

Massage can boost energy levels
Recent research has found that massage nurtured the growth of new mitochondria – the energy producing units within our cells.

What events is massage most suited to?
Sports massage can be adapted to suit the sport that you’re training for, what’s more there are also different forms of sports massage, including: injury; maintenance; pre-race/competition; post-race/competition.

A sports massage’s strength lies in its flexibility. Whilst they aren’t always comfortable they are by far the most effective for aiding muscle growth, repair and recovery.

If you’re training for an event and would like to book a sports massage with one of our qualified massage therapists, call us on 020 8316 5316. If you book a regular massage (at least once a month) we’ll give you a discount. The more often you come, the greater the discount! Just give us a call to find out more.