Ideal for athletes or those with physically demanding lifestyles, sports massage offers a number of health benefits, including quicker recovery times from exercise and injury, as well as tension and stress relief. iQ’s sports massage therapist is highly skilled and experienced and regularly treats those struggling with muscle tightness and pain to help them compete and recover.
Sports massage
Take your performance to the next level
What is sports massage?
Sports massage is designed to help reduce imbalances and tightness in soft tissues – muscle, tendons and ligaments – that are caused by repetitive activity or trauma. Sports massage can be used before or after an event and can help to reduce pain, injury and damage caused by sport and activity.
Of course, you don’t have to be sporty to feel the effects. Some people who sit for long periods at work or have stressful lives also benefit greatly from sports massage therapy. Sometimes a deep tissue massage at the end of a stressful week sets you up perfectly for the weekend, particularly if you have an active social life or spend a lot of time trying to keep up with your kids.
Many iQ clients find a regular deep tissue massage helps reduce pain and recovery times, relieve stress and tension, and even improve sleep quality.
Benefits of sports massage
Improved circulation
Sports massage helps to work and loosen your muscle fibres to encourage the removal of lactic acid, along with other painful toxins stored up in the tissue, so that the body can remove them quickly and efficiently.
Relieve tension
Sports massage therapy is helpful in balancing the body’s chemistry and helping to stabilise your overall mood, resulting in lower stress levels.
Increased flexibility
If your regular sports massage sessions include stretching exercises, it will gradually increase your muscles’ extensibility (aka flexibility) by training them to increase their range of motion.
Muscle tone & length
A person with high muscle tone will suffer from decreased movement as well as increased muscle tightness and tension. Sports massage can be used to relieve this tension while helping to lengthen muscle, reducing the risk of injury.
Remodel scar tissue
Sports massage can be used to breakdown scar tissue within the muscles, helping decrease pain and improve relaxation. This is particularly useful for individuals overcoming surgery, a fracture, or soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains.
Mental preparation
If you’re training for a big event, sports massage’s therapeutic nature is proven to aid mindfulness and help reduce stress, enabling you to keep a clear head and remain focussed on the end goal.
Reduce injury risk
Overworked and overstressed muscles are more susceptible to injuries. By reducing tension and knots in your muscles, sports massage gives your body the support it needs to perform safely and confidently.
Decreased recovery time
Sports massage encourages better blood circulation, lowers stress levels and relieves muscle tension, all of which leads to better recovery.
Better sleep
Sports massage relieves tension and aids the recovery of muscles, reducing any discomfort that may be disrupting your sleep patterns.