A few weeks ago I learned about rhabdomyolysis, a disease that is on the rise as particularly CrossFit training and other intensive workouts become more common. Taking a break from your regularly scheduled workout routines for massage therapy assists your body in recovery time, body/mind awareness and rest and relaxation.
Fitness enthusiasts: how much are you listening to your body’s needs for relaxation? Do you know where your body is strongest or weakest? Taking time to step away from the gym, track, court or rink is a gift to your intensive workout schedule. During these times of rest your body recovers. Massage therapy enhances the recovery time and connects your body/mind to the effects of your workouts.
Sports massage techniques gently stretched the body to explore the range of motion in muscle groups around the major joints of the body: ankles, knees, hips and shoulder. Major joints are connected through fascia, muscles, tendon and ligaments into the spine, neck and head, so the whole body is effected. With awareness of breath, you are guided to notice sensations in the body, noticing where the body is open, releasing or holding tension, tightness or discomfort. As the body begins to relax range of motion improves, the muscles melt open and circulation increases bringing oxygen and nutrients into the tissues deepening relaxation.
Awareness of holding patterns is an opportunity to make shifts in your workout routine to address the issues of imbalance. A CrossFit athlete may have an imbalance in the shoulders that began with a slight injury. A Baseball player may have a strong rotation in one direction around the spine as they power through to hit the ball. Release of the shoulder muscles (cross-fit) spine (baseball) improves the range of motion in the body, invites awareness to the difference in rotation to the left around the spine and creates space for healing.
As massage therapy on a monthly basis becomes an integrated part of your exercise routine you will cultivate body awareness, create body/mind connection, deepen full-body relaxation and improve recovery between workouts.
Contact me today, to set up an appointment for sports massage.
Peace,
Sarah-Elizabeth, MA, LMT
Sarah-Elizabeth 
Published by