Massage just after training? Don’t even think about it!
You really do enjoy a good massage, don’t you? Just thinking about it makes you shed a tear of joy…
With glowing candles, aromatic incense and some cool Chill Out music playing in the background. My goodness, that’s life!
Well, I’m sorry my friend, but in this post we’re not going to talk about those types of massage…we’re going to talk about Sports Massage. Which, on the other hand, has a lot more sense looking at the subject of this blog, hasn’t it?
This type of massage is similar to the other but without the love or romanticism, no candles, incense or chill out music… instead, it’s quite possible you’ll shed a tear or two… (dissimulate and say that you’ve got something in your eye).
Now seriously, a good sports massage benefits your body in many ways, whatever sport you practice. But if your sport is Cross Training it’s particularly recommendable since it’s a high intensity sport and it will really help you to achieve a quick recuperation.
Is it compulsory?
No, of course not! We’ve got enough daily obligations without adding another one. But I don’t want you to misunderstand, it really does do us wonders.
If you’re hardworking and constant in your training and you like to take it really seriously, you’ll also need to programme some good sports massage sessions, to get back to yourself after some heavy, intense training sessions.
An appropriate manual therapy that consists in the carrying out of exercises, friction strokes, compression or pressure on your muscles, will leave you like new. It’s like a sort of warrior’s rest.
It’s like a body MOT for adjusting your body’s springs and screws so that you can go back and hammer it out as soon as possible. With good professional handling you’ll be able to recuperate after giving one’s all and therefore be able to go back to give one’s all again (some would think it’s not worth it and if you stay at home watching tv you would save all the hassle… but of course, that’s because they’ve never done any sports. True?)
But I’d like to repeat something important, this “handling” should be PROFESSIONAL. I wouldn’t rely on your cousins ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ who have done a first ever, quick intensive massage course… but that’s up too you. With a repairing massage given by a competent Physiotherapist you’ll be able to prevent injuries from developing.
Moreover, if you find a massage therapist who knows and understands your body well and ‘presses the right buttons’, you’ll feel the analgesic effects of their hands and that way you’ll be able to save yourself the Ibuprofen painkiller.
Can your cousins ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ do this? Well if it’s a yes, go ahead. But if you’re in doubt I recommend you to forget about them, even though you’re going to have to put up with their ‘indirects’ for the rest of your life…
“The family comes first!. At least for some, of course…
Massage for Cross Training
Cross Training involves an immense muscular strain and this can cause micro-injuries that, although they might not seem that evident initially, they are a menace and will hold you back from giving it everything. Furthermore, what can start off to be something “micro”, might turn into something “macro” if it’s not treated in time.
A good sports massage cleans out toxins found in connective tissues and encourages oxygen-rich blood to reach these areas which promotes a fast and improved recuperation of the muscle. Amazing!
These friction strokes are particularly suitable for those who practice functional training.They are aimed at reducing the athlete’s weak points, as well as allowing the athlete to be in a position to endure sessions of extremely intense physical preparation.
He who trains more, more massages will need and he who receives more massages can spend more time training.
Relief
The muscular tension relief massage for Cross Training is, by definition, beneficial. It’s one of the best allies a beginner sportsperson could ever ask for.
With it, the probability of cramps appearing after an intense session of training is reduced considerably. In addition, it’s an advantage because it’ll help you contain that sensation of fatigue that is often produced when exercise has been particularly heavy.
Well, you’re going to be more or less like this:
The only problem massaging has, is that sometimes due to the lack of knowledge, they are programmed when they are not due.
And this is where we come back to the article’s title: Massage just after training? Don’t even think about it!
There are some people who believe that the right moment is just after a long, intense training session… Nooooo! That would be an extreme mistake, because in those moments muscles are inflamed, tired and possibly painful.
Giving massages in those conditions can prove to be aggressive and can lead to different consequences than the ones hoped for.
Would you have a massage after lying out in the scorching August sun?
It hurts just thinking about it, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a right time for everything…
If you have really got into Cross Training, I know from personal experience that you’ll only be thinking about improving and training harder every day. But, be careful!, bear in mind the importance of a good sports massage, your body will thank you for freeing itself from injuries and you’ll be able to improve your performance.