Despite its name, sports massage isn’t just for top athletes. True, the sports massage was originally designed for athletes who wanted to prepare for, or recover from, sporting events. But not only is sports massage good for serious athletes and weekend warriors alike, it’s a good healing technique for anyone with a recent muscular or soft tissue injury. And you can now book a sports massage directly in the Zeel app or on zeel.com.
Sports massage draws from several techniques that may already be familiar to you, including Swedish (to improve blood circulation and oxygenation) and deep tissue (to target and break up muscle knots and blockages). Many sports massages incorporate stretching as well. During a sports massage, your therapist will target a specific muscle group or groups based on your preferred athletic activity.
The benefits of sports massage
Because of the targeted nature of this technique, you will likely not receive a full-body massage, unlike Swedish and deep tissue treatments. If you prefer a full-body massage for body-wide aches and muscle knots, select a deep tissue massage.
A sports massage can help prepare the body to endure muscle strain and to perform at its peak. Sports massage can also help you avoid common athletic injuries (neck strain, shin splits) and to help you bounce back faster if you are indeed injured.
Ask for a sports massage if you’re focused on a particular athletic pursuit – perhaps you’ve started lifting weights or taking CrossFit classes, or you’re a serious runner training for a marathon.
As with any massage, make sure to tell your sports massage therapist about any injuries or physical conditions you have, as well as your current athletic pursuits.
