How Sports Massage Saved Christmas
Tis the season again, and it’s time we gave you an update on one of our favourite patients, Father Christmas!
In previous years Father Christmas has come to visit us with various pains and injuries brought about by his busiest time of year. Fortunately, this year he has followed our advice and started looking after himself more. He has cut down on the mince pies and mulled wine, and he has increased his portions of fruit and vegetables and started drinking more water.
He has also taken up running! Father Christmas started off at his local North Pole Parkrun. Week on week his times got gradually faster, and he started to run longer distances. Running is an activity that is accessible and affordable to everyone, and with organisations like Parkrun and apps like couch to 5k, there is plenty of support to help you get going.
We’re pleased to have played a role in this transformation too. In order to keep himself in tip-top condition, Father Christmas has been making regular visits to our Massage Therapist, Wendy David, for a monthly Sports Massage.
How does Sports Massage help?
Maintaining Flexibility: Sports massage can help prevent injury by breaking down adhesions within muscles and increasing ranges of movement. Muscle adhesions are small bundles of fibres that become clumped together by something called collagen. Adhesions are a common effect of exercise on our muscles which can restrict movement and cause muscle tightness and pain. When movement is restricted, quick or intense movements during activity lead to the muscle becoming strained or even torn. A deep tissue massage can break down these adhesions increasing range of movement and muscle health to help prevent injury.
- Maintaining Flexibility: Sports massage can help prevent injury by breaking down adhesions within muscles and increasing ranges of movement. Muscle adhesions are small bundles of fibres that become clumped together by something called collagen. Adhesions are a common effect of exercise on our muscles which can restrict movement and cause muscle tightness and pain. When movement is restricted, quick or intense movements during activity lead to the muscle becoming strained or even torn. A deep tissue massage can break down these adhesions increasing range of movement and muscle health to help prevent injury.
- Improve Circulation: As a muscle is massaged, the physical stimulation to the smaller blood vessels leads to an increase in blood flow to the area. All the ingredients a muscle needs for growth and repair come through its blood supply which means that a massage after exercise is fantastic for accelerating recovery.
- Waste Drainage: Another benefit of massage to a muscle is improved waste drainage. All tissues in the body create waste as they work, in the same way a car produces exhaust. Stimulating the blood supply through massage helps flush the tissues of their waste, the mechanical pressure of the massage also help to drain the lymphatic vessels in the area, which are the tubes through which the body removes waste.
- Other Changes: Changes in our nervous system activity and hormonal levels which can be measured after massage result in a relaxation response. Heart rate and blood pressure are often reduced, as are levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) during massage. A reduction in anxiety and an improvement in mood state also cause relaxation to continue after the massage.
We’ve been delighted to see Father Christmas looking so healthy. He is feeling so good that he expects to complete his present deliveries in record time this year. He should even get back to the North Pole in time to join in with the Christmas Day Parkrun and treat himself to a well-earned Mince Pie and Mulled Wine afterwards! He is also looking forward to giving Mrs Claus her Christmas present of a Massage Voucher with Wendy, so she can feel the benefits in the New Year too!
Find out more about our Massage Therapist Wendy David on our ‘Meet the Team’ page….