Why it’s good to have happy muscles
Massage in its many forms has been about for centuries. However, recent advances in sport and exercise science show just how effective it can be in improving circulation, speeding up recovery from exercise and injury and preventing soft tissue injury.
The good new is that you don’t have to be an elite athlete to reap the benefits of massage! Everyone from fun runners, office workers and busy mums can feel the positive effects it brings in terms of improved muscle health and flexibility making you feel fantastically looser and freer.
A common massage mystery: what is the difference between a sports and a relaxation massage?
Sports or deep soft tissue massage
Sports or deep soft tissue technique focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to maintain the optimal health of the muscles by breaking up and eliminating scar tissue within them which is a natural by-product of regular sport and exercise. The removal of scar tissue also helps prevent injury. Pulled or strained muscles are directly caused by a build-up of scar tissue on the muscles and tendons, and will quite literally stop you in your tracks!
Sports massage can keep all of your niggles at bay, making the tissue more supple and flexible and therefore more able to perform optimally. You don’t need to be super sporty to benefit from this type of massage. In fact, a sports or deep soft tissue massage can help reduce all sorts of general aches and pains, particularly around the neck, shoulders and lower back area, whether caused by sport, injury or simply the stresses and strains of modern life.
Swedish or Relaxation Massage
Swedish or relaxation massage uses a variety of stroking, kneading, pressure and flowing movements over the body to treat and prevent a huge variety of complaints, or simply for deep relaxation.
Gentle massage affects the nervous system through nerve endings in the skin, stimulating the release of endorphins, the body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals, to help induce relaxation and a sense of well-being, to relieve pain and reduce levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline. It is thought to help reverse the damaging effects of stress by slowing heart rate, respiration and metabolism and lowering raised blood pressure.
Apex Clinic recommends: a once monthly sports massage for sporty people, doing regular moderate to high intensity exercise, to keep those muscles in top form!
For further information on the benefits of massage or to book an appointment with one of our massage therapists at Apex Clinic, please call reception on 028 9048 4153.