Marathons or Running for Pleasure

As the running season begins and marathons abound, it’s time to start thinking about how to improve your performance and over-all wellness, especially if you’re no longer that younger twenty something anymore. A regular massage regimen may be just the right ingredient to add to your training.

The massage therapist applies moving pressure to muscles and other tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and fascia. This helps to soften fascia tissue and makes clenched muscles relax. This is key to runners who rely on limber joints and muscles for peak performance and to be pain-free.

There is also research that points to massaged limbs being less inflamed and 30% more production of a gene that helps muscles build mitochondria. This helps to turn a cell’s food into energy which helps to repair the muscles. This suggests that runners would then be able to tolerate harder and more training by speeding up recovery.

When you have muscle stiffness, it tends to throw a runner’s gait off, which can lead to a number of other problems. If your body is at its peak performance level, you would be able to detect other issues in their early stages as well.

Massage also helps to improve flexibility and reduces the risk of injury. Massage and running make the perfect pairing.

When you are running, your body does sustained, repetitive muscle contractions. The force generated is in direct correlation to the contractions. This is what allows you to run further and faster. The issue that arises is that this can cause circulation to compress tissues, tighten muscles, and reduce your joints range of motion.

It’s for those very reasons why massage should be a standard component of your training. Having a regular massage schedule is very helpful. The benefits are cumulative. Make sure to consult with your massage professional to construct a plan that works for your needs and your budget.