Everything Hurt
Everything hurt: My back was throbbing. My hamstrings were tight. My shoulders were rigid. And I could no longer ignore the pinch in my neck. My work outs were slow and sloppy. I wanted to scream, “Calgon, take me away…” But instead, I got a professional massage.
For many people, getting a massage is one of life’s great pleasures. But when your body is screaming like mine was, a 50-minute rubdown from a trained professional is an excellent way to relieve tension and help you relax. Physical therapists and masseuses are biomechanical experts who are able to address trigger points — that is, areas of tightness — more precisely than most people can themselves. Massaging these trigger points increase the temperature of soft tissues, increase blood circulation, break down adhesions, and decrease tone.
When tightness is relieved, muscles are able to relax, reducing tension. A decrease in tension helps to reduce muscular knots and the restriction that they have caused. A reduction in muscular knots and restriction helps to increase range of movement and decreased pain. And I can attest. After a 50-minute deep tissue massage, my neck pain disappeared, my shoulders were limber, my posture was straight…I felt incredible. And my performance at the gym improved.
Widely used to treat chronic aches and pains, deep tissue massage is a popular form of massage therapy. This technique targets areas of tension or tightness by applying concentrated pressure to the sub-layer of muscles and fascia, the connective tissue made of collagen that surrounds your muscles.
But massages aren’t limited to acute pain. A pre-event massage can be beneficial to prepare the body for exercise. But, as it is unrealistic to get a professional massage before each time you workout, there are ways you can warmup your body yourself. All you need is 10 minutes and a foam roller.
Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, inflammation, and increase your range of motion. Simply, when the pressure of the body against the foam roller is sustained on a trigger point, the fascia is loosened, so the the muscles can stretch, unknot, and realign.
Regularly working in massages from a trained professional or doing it yourself with a foam roller can positively impact your workout regime. In addition, taking care of your muscles will help prevent injury; help with recovery between workouts; reduce overall stress; and generally make you feel like you want to do 50 burpees. Well…maybe just 5!
If you want to learn how to foam roll properly, click the button below. The professional trainers at Success Studio are ready to teach you the safe way to roll so you can loosen up and live life on your own terms.