Benefits of Massage for Athletes

Massage is increasingly being put to the test to see what it can do for solving and healing all kinds of ailments.  Over the last few years several studies have been performed to clearly see what it can do for runners and athletes in general.  And not just elite athletes, but those of thus that are weekend warriors.   Time and time again, massage has been shown to help athletes recover more quickly from injuries and also prevent injuries from occurring.

One study showed that massage provides a non-invasive treatment for those who have skeletal muscular injuries that to lead to the build up of scar tissue. Another Canadian study worked with two groups of people who were training for a 10k, were divided into two groups.  One group received a half hour weekly massage.  One hundred percent of the massage group easily finished the 10k, while only 58% of the non-massage group were able to finish.  Finally, deep muscle massage was able to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness after a vigorous work out or training session.

Overall, massage continues to be a valuable training companion for all kinds of athletes.  Not only does massage reduce muscle tension, it helps athletes monitor muscle tone, promotes relaxation and focus, increases range of motion of joints, and improves soft tissue function.