Summer Sports and Massage

Sports massage is important for everyone, whether you’re playing in the World Cup or cheering on the sidelines. Summer is back in full force, enticing everyone to spend more active time outdoors. A sedentary winter and dormant muscle groups combined with eagerness to jump back into physical outside activities can be a recipe for injury: strains, sprains and even tears and breaks. Whether it’s swimming, gardening, or tossing the baseball around, all massage therapists and bodyworkers will see an increase in clients’ needs involving sports massage this season. In this article we’ll share simple information for educating your clients about the benefits of sports massage and tips for preparing your own practice if sports massage is not your primary specialization.

Sports massage is generally massage therapy focused on athletics, preventing and treating injuries and promoting optimal function. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest to rebuild and restore muscles, and staying hydrated, remind your clients of the value of sports massage as a way to avoid injury, diminish pain, and enable top performance. Warming the muscles with massage before the activity increases strength and flexibility, helping to prevent injury. Stretching muscles and tissue through a full range of motion supports high performance. And after physical exertion, sports massage can aid in expelling toxins from the body, diminishing soreness. The rehabilitation aspect of sports massage during an injury can alleviate pain, mitigate additional injuries, and boost healing, quickening recovery. The overall stress relief and calming effects of massage help the body, and mind, to rest, repair, and rebuild.

Need a sports massage refresher? Fundamental massage therapy techniques are used in sports massage, and whatever your focus or modality, those skills can translate. However, it’s a great opportunity to take a closer look and learn more about particular sports massage techniques. Enroll in a continuing education course, brush up with the Bodyworkers Resource or learn to treat 10 common athletic injuries as well as lessons for specific sports from a Real Bodywork Sports Massage DVD. Expand your expertise, expand your business.

Finally, remember to stock up on essentials for sports massage. Hot and cold therapy relaxes muscles and reduces inflammation, and is integral to sports massage. Essential oils have curative properties to enhance relaxation, calm inflammation and speed healing. And many massage lotions, creams and gels like Biotone Muscle & Joint Relief Therapeutic Massage Cream and EpsomGel Solution are formulated for sports massage to support healthy muscles and joints, reduce muscle pain and inflammation, and increase flexibility. Having them available for use during a session and for purchase for your clients to practice self-care between massages is a great way to empower them (and for you to increase your bottom line).

Scheduling in regular sports massage therapy, especially during the active summer, is an important way to help your clients feel and play at their best. Therapeutic, healing and restorative, sports massage will only increase in demand as the days grow longer and hotter. Integrating sports massage techniques this season will benefit your clients, enlarge your audience and cultivate your business. Educate yourself, accumulate the proper tools and share the knowledge. It’s a win-win for everyone!

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