Hydrotherapy or Massage to Reduce Post-Workout Pain
Submitted by SharpMan Editorial Team on Saturday 16th October 2010- Why try massage or hydrotherapy?
- Exploring your options.
- Dive into muscle relaxation.
It’s what puts the WORK in your workout… the PAIN in your gain. But what if you could work out and still make advancements in your fitness goals without pain? Consider adding a sport’s massage or hydrotherapy treatment to your conditioning program and you could do just that. Whether it becomes a regular part of your program or just a follow-up treat to give your body a much-needed reward, read on for the SharpHealth 411 on how to massage your way to great workouts:
Enjoy the Benefits
Besides helping you maintain a sleek physique, an exercise program that includes therapeutic massage or hydrotherapy can help you progress faster and maintain your fitness level by relieving some of the muscle stiffness and soreness that comes with strenuous workouts. These methods of muscle stimulation and relaxation may also aid recovery and enhance your overall performance.
A sports massage isn’t your typical melt-the-stress-away rub-down. Therapist ideally have an in-depth understanding of physiology, allowing them to create "balance;" target and relieve tension in muscles that are susceptible to overuse and related injuries..
What else makes a sports massage more than a relaxation rub-down enjoyed at a spa? They’re often used before, after and even during athletic events to help improve performance by re-energizing your muscles, releasing tension and swelling, and helping increase flexibility.
And how will this treatment improve your performance? When you exercise, your muscles experience a type of breakdown that results in stiffness, soreness and occasional limited use. By breaking down the tension and stress in your muscle tissues, you will be able to maintain your level of performance and increase it more quickly because your body will require less recovery time. Massage therapy can also reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, increase circulation and reduce pain.
Breaking Down the Rub-Down
There are several types of massage that can aid your physical performance. Petrissage is a deep tissue massage that compresses the underlying muscles by kneading, wringing or skin rolling techniques designed to relax the muscle fibers. This technique is primarily used on larger muscle groups to stimulate deep muscle fibers.
Effleurage consists of larger movements with varying pressure, starting off light and increasing the pressure to your comfort level. This technique is primarily used to warm up the muscles and increase circulation. Effleurage is also used to find tender spots that require special attention, including a deeper massage such as petrissage to work out the soreness and allow you to return to your peak performance level sooner. Effleurage suitable for nearly all the body’s muscles.
Hydrotherapy, the manipulation of muscle groups submerged in water, has been used for thousands of years to provide relief for aches and pains. The key to this treatment is how your body responds to the weightlessness of being submerged and to hot and cold temperatures. Warm water soothes tense muscles, while cool water stimulates internal activity. Massaging muscle group under water allows the massage therapist to massage deeper with less discomfort to you.
Additionally, hydrotherapy relieves the stress of your overall body weight, reducing it by up to 90%. It follows that your body — which is 75% water — would benefit from being immersed in water. The weightlessness relieves the pressure on your joints and muscles, allowing them to enjoy better circulation, pain relief and relief of muscle cramping and water-retention.
Not convinced? Try the do-it-yourself option in your gym’s hot tub to work out kinks after your next workout.
You’ll find that you can return to activity sooner without risk of injury, allowing you to improve your performance faster than a program that does not include hydrotherapy.
Getting the Goods
Adding massage or hydrotherapy to your fitness program isn’t just for the pros. Whether you are training for your first marathon or schedule a weekly game of racquetball, you can benefit from adding these treatments to your program.
To find a massage or hydro-therapist, consult your local gym or day spa, which may have massage services available or can recommend a certified massage therapist. Alternatively, many physical therapists offer hydrotherapy as part of their treatment programs. Call your physician for a recommendation.
This article last updated on Saturday 16th October 2010