Some runners believe that if it’s not broken then it doesn’t need fixing. So they will train day on day without a single thought on making sure their muscles are being allowed to fully repair.
This type of thinking will serve you well, for a while. Then you will get injured. And when you get injured you will be told to visit a physiotherapist. When you go see your Physio you will be told what your injury is and how to fix it. This is involve a series of strengthening exercises after a short spell of intense physiotherapy which is 80% of the time…massage.
If you’d of had regular massage in the first place the likelihood is that you wouldn’t of picked up an injury.
Here are 4 reasons why massage is the most effective way to prevent any injury
1: You can massage yourself – you don’t need a professional masseur to give you a rub down after every session. You can do it yourself. Have a quick look at this self massage video to see how.
2: It’s cheap. If you go see a professional masseur once in a while it’s a hell of a lot more cost effective than intense physiotherapy. Prices for massage can be between £20-50 and a Physio session £50-£120 and you may need multiple sessions to fix an issue.
3: You feel the benefits straight away. The day after you’ve had a proper massage, from personal experience, and from listening to clients over the years you feel like you’re running with a new pair of legs. One of the main reasons why you have massage is to flush out any bad blood and non helpful toxins and allow a fresh stream of new oxygen carrying blood to your muscles. Which in turn means your legs feel like they have been given a new lease of life.
4: Elite athletes have it. All the time. They need it. If they don’t have it, they get injured. It’s as simple as that. If it’s good enough for Mo Farah it’s good enough for you. After all, you are both doing the exact same thing. Which is pushing your body to its limits.
