Is Thai Massage good for athletes? Yes.
Why is Thai massage good for athletes?
Professional athletes train hard every day, but their job is to also recover from their hard training quickly and rest well so that they can get back to train hard again next day and have the optimal performance on their game day. For that, they use all sorts of recovery methods. Getting massage is one of them.
So, even if you are not a pro athlete, but you push your body hard, train hard, play hard and on top of that, you probably have a day job, you have kids, etc. So, it makes sense that you also have a good recovery routine so that you can keep up with your active and fun life. A lot of people still think that getting a massage is a luxurious thing to do. I do not believe so. Getting a massage is essential for those active people who like to workout, train and play outdoors. Massage should be a part of your recovery and should be on your maintenance (self-care) schedule. Here are some benefits of getting a massage for an athlete.
– improve performance
– recude pain
– prevent injury
– shorter recovery time
– relaxation
etc
Sometimes, stretching and yoga itself won’t be effective enough to regain the full mobility and the potential of your body movements after repeated hard trainings.
Massage will promote the circulation in your body and increase the blood flow. Then you will have more oxygen in your body and the muscles and that promotes the removal of waste and toxins in your body quicker. Therefore, you will have a better and faster recovery and reducing the soreness after the workouts.
Muscularly, massage will relieve muscle tension and reduce soreness. When you have more relaxed muscles, you will have an increased range of motion and flexibility.
So, you can see how Thai massage works. I combine the deep tissue work and relax the muscles of your body and reduce the tension from your body so that I can move you into different stretches and shapes to increase your range of motion.
I think the best part of getting a Thai massage for athletes is that you are able to increase your athletic performance when you are back out there and you are able to push your body a bit more without injuring yourself again and again. It’s a wonderful preventative maintenance.
One another thing that we tend to forget about the benefit of Thai massage to athletes is the psychological effect. Thai massage is great for calming the nervous system so it facilitates your relaxation and reduce anxiety if you have any. You get into a great breathing pattern during the massage (and sometimes I cue the breathing during the session), and as you know, breathing really helps relax your nervous system. This might help you sleep better at night which would be great for your overall recovery!
Personally, I need to get a regular massage, otherwise, my body starts to feel very stiff and painful eventually. And I feel that I’m not performing my best even when I train a lot. I practice at least 2 hours of yoga every week and sometimes more. But the amount of other physical activities I do, I need a hands-on help!
How often and when to get a massage?
I think getting a “regular” massage is important. The point of getting a massage is to make it a part of your maintenance program so do not wait until you get injured or have pain in your body to book your appointment. I have personally made this mistakes many times over the years…
If you have a race/game, I recommend you get a massage at least 3-5 days before (not a day before). After your big day, again, you can wait for a several days to get a massage.
I also recommend you combine with other modalities of recovery and maintenance such as acupuncture, yoga/stretching, PT exercises, foam/ball rolling, hot bath, and more! There are so many out there.
I would not call myself an athlete…Can I still get a Thai Massage?
Of course! All these benefits we talked about apply to EVERYONE.
Even if you do not categorize yourself as an athlete, think about what you do every day…Moving heavy thing, carrying kids, walking/standing all day at work, cleaning the house, gardening, and more…Your body gets tired and worked from our daily lives. Why not taking care of ourselves for our health and wellness regularly?
And you are thinking…”But I just sit for 8-9 hours a day in front of the computer, 5 days a week, and I don’t feel like I’m getting enough exercise. But I feel exhausted at the end of the day and my body hurts!”. Your brain is worked and tired from a long day of work…and your body needs “movements” to feel better. We can talk a bit more about this next month, but those who have a sitting job every day, Yes, Thai massage would be wonderful for you too.
If you like to book a Thai massage appointment with me, please email me at contact@yogayuki.com
More info on my Thai massage is here.