How Therapeutic Massage Improves an Athlete’s Performance

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I have a confession to make. I’m an addict. I’m addicted to sports particularly running, swimming and cycling. I’m a fierce competitor. I hate losing. Sometimes I think my greatest opponent is myself. I always want to surpass my past performance. That’s why I train hard. But I make sure to reward myself after that hard work.

As a blogger turned athlete, my body is my weapon. I want to make sure that my body is on its peak performance. That’s why I get a therapeutic massage after training. If you’re an athlete like me, I recommend getting a nice massage after training. Here’s why.

It Improves Flexibility Flexibility is important to all kinds of sports. That’s why athletes stretch before and after games. Massage therapy stretches the muscle tissues and ligaments. A well stretched body helps prevent sports-related injuries.

It Improves Cardiovascular Flow Cardio plays a huge role in sports. Without proper breathing, an athlete will be gassed out. Massage improves the breathing as well as the blood flow. It’s beneficial to athletes not only during game time but also in their overall health.

It Eradicates Pain Pain is part of the game. You can’t call yourself an athlete without experiencing any pain. In sports, playing hurt affects the athlete’s performance. But with a therapeutic massage, it relaxes the body and removes injury-related pain. Massage works best on muscle pain which is very common for athletes. Once the pain is removed, athletes will be at their optimum performance.

It Helps Getting Good Sleeping Habits Studies show that getting nine hours of sleep works wonders on athletes’ performance. The secret to winning is training hard and resting well. It may sound simple but it’s true. You can’t just treat your body like a machine and train non-stop. You have to rest too. A good massage relaxes your body and improves your sleeping patterns. If you want to perform at your best, a high quality sleep is a pre-requisite.

Psychological Benefits Sad but true, you can’t always win in sports. There will always be a time where you’ll get frustrated due to bad performance. If you want to win, you shouldn’t focus on negative thoughts. Instead forget them and move on. Massage improves your mood. If you have a bad day, get a massage and you’ll forget about it. It helps athletes by calming the mind and prepares it for the next event.

If you’re a sports addict like me, you better start getting a massage now. It helps in the longevity of your athletic life. It may be scary to try at first but once it’s done, it feels like heaven.