A1 SPORTS MASSAGE INFORMATION
Sports Massage has become a necessary ingredient for a complete workout. More and more people are realizing that a complete workout routine includes not only the exercise itself, but also caring for the wear and tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The physiological an psychological benefits of massage make it an ideal complement to a total conditioning program.
Anyone who routinely stretches their physical limits through movement such as running, cycling, hiking, swimming, dancing, tennis and other racquet sports, strength training and aerobics can benefit from a massage. Their are others who do strenuous activities in a day, where it is not normally classified as exercise. Examples of these are Mothers with small children, gardeners, and others who use their bodies strenuously in their work. Incorporating massage in your conditioning program has many benefits. It helps you get into good shape faster, and with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster from heavy workouts, and relieves conditions which may cause injury.
Regular exercise increases vigor and promotes a general sense of well-being. If done in moderation, it can relieve the effects of stress, and has been linked in decreases in psychological depression.
Regular exercise followed by Massage Therapy produces positive physical results like increased muscular strength and endurance, more efficient heart and respiratory functioning, increased metabolism and greater flexibility.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EXERCISE?
Conditioning involves 3 phases:
- Tearing Down Phase: When one pushes the physical limits
- Recovery Phase: Important for the rebuilding phase and to obtain the full benefits of a conditioning program.
- Buildup Phase: When the system adapts to the demands placed on it.
The 'Tearing Down' phase of the adaptation process often involves stiffness and soreness, especially when the amount of movement is significantly increased from what the body has been used to in the past.
Delayed Overuse Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can occur up to 24/48 hours and may be caused by any of a number of different factors. Some possible causes are minor muscle or connective tissue damage, local muscle spasms that reduce blood flow, or a build up of waste products (metabolites)from energy production. Trigger points or stress points may also cause muscle soreness and decreased flexibility. These points are specific spots in muscle and tendons which cause pain when pressed, and which may radiate pain to a larger area. They are not bruises, but are thought by some to be small areas of spasm.
Trigger points may be caused by sudden trauma (like falling or being hit), or may develop over time from the stress and strain of heavy physical exertion or from repeated use of a particular muscle.
Heavily exercised muscles may also lose their capacity to relax, causing chronically tight (hypertonic) muscles, and loss of flexibility. Lack of flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes you to injuries, especially muscle pulls and tears. Blood flow through tight muscles is poor (ischemia), which also causes pain.
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