The benefits of Massage

The benefits of massage are many, but one of the most immediate is the feeling of calmness & relaxation that comes over you as soon as you lay on the table. By taking time out & separating yourself from all the distractions & commitments it is great to help reduce stress & tension. But massage can provide so much more. Here is a few key benefits for runners & generally active people

From a physical perspective massage can be a great tool to reduce massage soreness as it improves circulation, increasing blood flow and enhancing waste removal through the lymphatic system. It will reduce muscle tension alleviating imbalances on particular joints ad can help prevent injuries. Common tight spots which develop in many runners, such as Gluts, ITB, Hamstrings and calves can all be improved through regular massage. Massage can also help improve the recovery of soft tissue such as tendons & muscles through increased circulation.

Massage also has positive effects on mood, reducing stress hormones & has been shown to reduce anxiety & depression. And as if all this wasn’t enough massage can also have a positive effect on your sleep, and most importantly deep sleep allowing your body to repair & recover from hard training. You’d be crazy not to incorporate regular massage into your health routine.

How often should you get a massage?

This is of course completely up to you but if your training at high intensity &/or volumes you’re going to need more regular massage. When I’m training for a marathon I try to have one every 3 weeks, however elite athletes will have several per week, especially if they are recovering from injury or suffering recurring tightness. If you have a specific tight spot which needs work or you at working at peak training volumes you may want to go more regularly. Also after a big event (such as last weekend’s City2Surf) it is good to treat yourself to a massage to relieve tight muscles. Replace one of your training sessions with a massage, but be sure to so it when the worst of the muscle soreness is behind you or it’ll be a painful experience. Massage doesn’t have to hurt! It will be uncomfortable especially when working on a tight area, but you shouldn’t be jumping off the table.

Types of Massage

• Swedish massage is one of the more common types of massage using long flowing strokes of varying pressures. It can be useful for runners and also be quite a relaxing as a pre race massage in the days before a big race or competition.
• Trigger Point massage targets the knots & tight areas in your muscles and is a good treatment for injuries. Calf strains hamstring tightness and the all too common ITB issues can be well served by trigger point therapy.
• Sports/Remedial massage is most commonly seen in many physio & podiatry clinics around Sydney. Sports massage generally works a little harder than Swedish massage and focus on common areas of tension found in athletes.
• Deep Tissue massage is another stronger massage which focuses on slower moves reaching both the deeper & superficial layers of muscles and connective tissue (or fascia).
• Self Myofascial Release (or SMR) can be performed using foam rollers, specially designed balls or even your hand or knuckles. It is a soft tissue massage which has a wide rage of applications for runners especially. Foam rolling has become increasingly popular in the last 10yrs and we will post another blog about this more specifically soon.

For more articles head to the OUTFIT health + fitness blog or email us with your questions