In preparation before the effort or in recovery after the effort, the massages help you throughout the training plan. Fisiocrèm, expert in sports massage, gives you the keys to succeed and understand them with the right technique…
Massage for sports, simple pleasure or real benefits?
During the effort, the muscles are sometimes harshly solicited and this causes tensions or micro-tears at the origin of the famous aches or cramps. Massages are known to relax the body and reduce the muscle tension that makes it contract.
Therapeutic and comforting, they soften the muscles, relax the body and provide unique well-being. Particularly after exercise, massages relax the athlete and allow his body to recover more easily. It is a very effective complement to sports preparation because it promotes a safer return to training.
Massages in the context of sport are therefore pleasured in addition to bringing real benefits!
Before, during, or after exercise?
The three! Indeed, top athletes often get a massage before a competition or training, during breaks, and at the end of the effort. It is this last massage that is the most beneficial and that amateurs should give preference.
Before the effort, the massage relaxes the athlete and reduces his stage fright during competitions. It is also a way to prevent muscle pain, to warm up the muscles to prepare them for effort.
During break times during training, the massage alleviates muscle and joint trauma.
Finally, at the end of a workout, massage is important because it softens the muscles, regulates venous circulation, drains the blood system in order to eliminate the toxins accumulated during the effort, and allows you to recover more quickly. It is a real asset to help the body recover. A good massage and good hydration, nothing like this for optimal recovery!
What type of preferred massage?
The sports massage, Tonic and/or relaxing, sports massage varies according to the needs of the person who comes to be massaged.
The particularity of this massage? We do not massage the belly or the scalp. We mainly target the back, arms, legs, feet… In short, the muscles that work the most in order to relieve them.
Sports massage can be useful:
In preparation before the effort, ideally the day before
- Objective: optimize the warm-up to come, better prepare the body for physical effort and reduce feelings of stiffness during sporting activity thanks in particular to rapid friction.
In recovery after exercise, within 48 hours
- Objective: to dissipate the sensations of proven stiffness, optimize recovery time and soften the body thanks to the massage which favors ample and slow gestures.
The main techniques used in sports massage
Sports massage uses precise techniques, derived from physiotherapy and well-being massage.
The manual massage allows, thanks to manipulations such as kneading, grinding, or even friction, to drain the fats, and to stimulate the blood and lymphatic circulation. The kneading is done using the heel of the hand, in uniform movements that move fat and eliminate toxins.
Mechanical massage uses massage devices, with the aim of softening the muscles and making the joints more resistant. Among the most commonly used devices is the massage chair, which massages the different parts of the body through vibrations. The relaxing effect is immediate!
Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique, the objective of which is to improve blood and lymphatic circulation. It detoxifies the body but also strengthens the immune system. Lymphatic drainage helps to limit the feelings of heaviness and swelling that can appear in athletes. These phenomena are due to imbalances in circulation.
Finally, infrared massagers have the effect of relaxing the muscles, thanks to the heat they produce. This heat diffuses deep under the skin and also accelerates blood circulation. This is an ideal technique to ease tension after a workout.
Sports massage in practice
Except in case of emergency during a cramp during a competition, the sports massage must last at least twenty minutes. Its application must be done in a place conducive to relaxation in order to provide the athlete with all these benefits of massage.
For more efficiency, it is best to do it with a massage product intended for athletes.
In the absence of a professional masseur, you can enjoy this massage using a specialized massage device.
