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Many races have massage therapy tents set up at the finish line, the Shape Your Future 5k in Atoka, Ok on June 1st will be no different. I will be there giving free chair massages to all the 5k participants. You may be wondering how a post race massage can help or what the benefits of massage therapy after a race are. After a run your body may experience symptoms such as inflammation and swelling, muscle tightness and/or soreness. Massage can help!
Massage Therapy After a Race
Swelling
Running a race can be traumatic for the body. Inflammation and swelling is very common. The massage is going to increase local circulation to the area of work.
Soreness
Muscle soreness happens after you have completed a challenging workout or run. Soreness usually begins around 24-48 hours after completing a strenuous run. Massage has been shown to decrease the amount of pain you can expect in the days after a race.
Tight Muscles
Chances are pretty good that after training for a race you have some overuse of muscles or maybe even nagging injury. You might have some knee pain from a tight ITB or a little back pain from tight hamstrings or hip flexors. Tissues can be assessed through massage therapy and relief can be provided.
Massage Promotes Healing
A massage can help promote healthy healing for your soft tissue. After a run, your body could suffer from minor strains in the tissue of the muscles. Massage therapy can help your body heal in a natural healthy way.
Regular Massage Therapy
Massage therapy after a race isn’t the only time it can be beneficial. Regular massage sessions will help keep you aware of the sore and tender areas in your body. During massage you will be able to feel tight muscles and know that you will need to work on stretching that area of the body a little more. I can recommend stretches and exercises that might help you prevent injury or recover from one more quickly.
Come in for a full massage the week after your race. If you are registered to run Atoka’s Shape Your Future 5k on June 1, why not call ahead to schedule a full massage the following week… you will be glad you did!
If you aren’t registered for the upcoming 5k yet, but would like to participate click here for more details, I hope to see you there!
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