Stretching and Massage Help You Recover Faster from Workouts

Are stretching and massage part of your routine as an athlete? If not, they should be. For one, muscles that are never stretched can shorten and become tight, limiting their ability to fully extend and, in turn, becoming weak.

Stretching can also help increase your range of motion and help maintain healthy joint health. Tight, in-flexible muscles can pull on joints, causing skeletal misalignment, as well as increasing your risk of rupture, strains and sprains.

Not only is stretching a key component to add to your pre- and post-workout routine, it’s also a great activity for total-body relaxation. Stretching can help reduce blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate, counteracting they body’s physiological responses to stress and muscular tension.

But what about massage? Massage has been shown to decrease and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by helping remove muscular waste such as lactic acid. Massage also brings fresh blood and nutrients to affected muscle tissue, helping to repair micro tears caused from an intense workout.

The scientific evidence is clear: Post-work out stretching and massage helps you get back to training sooner—and with more flexibility and less muscle soreness.

That is why we now offering a new, two-hour signature service with Massage Therapist Kristin Farrow: The Athlete’s Stretch and Soothe. The first hour of the session is spent on a floor mat, with Kristin providing assisted stretching meant to warm muscle tissue and release fascial restrictions. The second hour is spent on the massage table, allowing you to fully relax as you receive a soothing massage, which creates blood flow and faster recovery for sore muscles.

Book online here: https://therakneads.com/book-the-athletes-stretch-and-soothe or give us a call if you have any questions. And remember, athletes—training doesn’t end at the gym. Proper recovery is vital!