Ever wonder if a massage for runners’ pre marathon or pre workout is good for you? Or maybe you want a massage but are unsure on whether or not it will affect your performance or possibly cause injury. Sports massage therapy, according to the American Massage Therapy Association, is recommended for pre and post runs. Sports style massages help promote recovery of the muscles, tendons and joints when done as a post run massage to help keep them in optimum shape. When done as a pre run massage, it is meant to stimulate the runner and not to work out any knots or areas with injuries.
Getting a regular massage once a month can help make sure that your body is in tip top shape. Massage therapy helps with blood circulation, tension, soreness and injuries. Many ask the questions as to which massage is best for runners. There are a variety of massages, but for customers who are either preparing for a marathon or sporting event or just wanting to relax from exercising we recommend the Swedish, Deep tissue, Thai, or our signature style Asian Fusion Combo. The Asian Fusion Combo massage is the most popular massage at Happy Head Massage.
The Swedish full body massage is a medium pressure massage that involves a mixture of long strokes and kneading techniques. This massage helps to improve blood flow circulation and relieve tension and stress. This massage would be ideal for a pre workout, marathon or any sporting event.
Deep tissue massage incorporates long, deep and slow strokes with finger pressure to really work deep in the muscles and help work out any knots or chronic pain. This massage would be beneficial as a post workout, marathon or sporting event as it really is geared to work on more specific spots on the body or areas that may need more pressure than a Swedish massage.
Thai massage is a blend of deep tissue and stretching. This massage is a great post sporting event massage because it incorporates the long, deep strong strokes and also stretches out muscles that may have tightened up throughout the event.
The Asian Fusion combo massage is a blend of everything. It’s a 90-minute session that incorporates the Swedish or Deep tissue, stretching from the Thai and reflexology which really focuses on the pressure points on feet, hands and face. This massage would be best as post sporting event because it truly works every part of the body.
Whether you are an everyday treadmill runner or marathon enthusiast it’s okay to get a massage before and after. It will enhance performance by making sure your body is in tip top shape. Stop by any Happy Head location to learn more.