Whether you play a sport for exercise or leisure, or whether you’re a budding athlete, a seasoned professional, or somewhere in between, you put your body through a lot — exerting muscles and increasing endurance. The multidisciplinary team of health care providers at Pro-Active Medical Center in Niceville, Florida recommends massage therapy for every level of athlete — it offers a host of benefits, both physical and mental.
Discover why every athlete should make massage therapy a regular part of their training program.
When you push your body to new limits, massage helps you recover
According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), anyone who participates in regular exercise programs, as well as high-performance athletes, can benefit from massage therapy. Research shows that in regard to complementing exercise or athletic training, regular massage therapy can:
- Reduce muscle tension
- Improve soft tissue function
- Support tissue recovery
- Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce pain
- Enhance exercise and athletic performance
- Help prevent injuries
- Increase range of motion
- Promote relaxation
- Support heart rate recovery after high-intensity exercise
- Help monitor muscle tone
- Reduce breathing pattern disorders
When you want to improve your conditioning, help prevent injuries, and maintain your maximum capacity during your sport or exercise activity, regular massage therapy can help you achieve your goals.
Massage tailored to your needs
Massage therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment — it’s highly personalized to your specific needs. Our talented team of licensed massage therapists (LMTs) tailor your massages to your preferences and musculoskeletal conditions. We offer a variety of massage techniques, including:
- Cupping
- Myofascial Release®
- Sports massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Swedish massage
- Medical massage
Before designing a treatment plan, your LMT asks about your sports or exercise program, workout routines, and how you train. They also want to know of any areas that cause you pain and discomfort before, during, and after participating in your sport. Then, they recommend the type or types of massage that will help alleviate your pain and enhance your overall performance.
Your massage therapist also adjusts the pressure of your massage to your needs and preferences. For example, deep tissue massage can help you recover from muscle and connective tissue injuries. Sports massage can help prevent future injuries. And Myofascial Release can loosen knots between your muscles and connective tissues, or fascia.
Like athletic training, massage benefits take time
You’re not likely to improve your game after a single tennis lesson, an hour in the gym, or a couple laps in the pool. Just like you incorporate exercise and training into your schedule, when you add regularly scheduled massage therapy sessions into your routine, you notice improvement over time, including lasting benefits to your overall health, wellness, and athletic abilities.
Are you ready to get started? Let our team at Pro-Active Medical Center customize a series of massage therapy sessions to help promote your overall fitness, prevent injuries, or help you heal faster so you can get back to the sport you love.
Give us a call today at 850-347-0171 or click to request an appointment online.
