How will Massage Benefit Me and My Marathon Goal?
Have you put a marathon on your “to do” list this year? Will you training for a marathon this fall? Being a long-distance runner and massage therapist, I can attest to the benefits of regular massage in the preparation of the marathon.
Scientific studies show that massage can reduce inflammation and reduce the stress of exercise-induced muscle trauma. There are different phases of sports massage that benefit the athlete at different times leading up and following the actual event. I will be addressing the preventative sports massage, which you will find helpful while you are training for the marathon and for prevention of an injury. Regular massage during your training will assist you in getting to the starting line injury-free and completing your goal: the marathon.
With all of the long miles that you will be logging in your training phase, you may notice some muscle pain and soreness as you increase miles and put more stress on your body. You may even experience the beginning of some common running injuries which may not only hinder your training but stop it, if not addressed quickly. A sports massage will utilize various massage techniques including stretching, cross fiber friction and myofascial, therapeutic massage and lymphatic techniques, to name a few, in order to improve the athlete’s range of motion and flexibility of the muscles, aid in the reduction of swelling and edema, break up and soften fibrotic/scar tissue, relax muscle spasm which may become a culprit in compensatory patterns, for example. While you are putting your body under a lot of stress in the preparation of the marathon event, the massage can provide relaxation of the muscle tissues and the lengthening of the muscle which will aid in gaining even more from your upcoming training sessions.