Sports massage and self-massage for beginners

Unlike the usual, so-called hygienic massage, sports massage involves working on specific muscle groups. As a result of such an impact, the blood flow to the muscle increases, and blood, as is known, performs a number of useful functions - it fills the cells with oxygen and other nutrients, helps remove waste products. As a result, the muscles relax and recover more effectively after exercise.

But sports massage also has some unobvious benefits that amateur athletes should know about. Thus, by stimulating the nerve endings in the muscles, massage improves the neuromuscular connection, which helps to better feel the target muscles when doing exercises. By activating the blood flow to muscle tissue, massage promotes its active nutrition. If you consume enough protein and amino acids are constantly present in the blood, the blood will transport them to the muscles. Thus, muscle fibers will recover faster after exercise. Active transport of amino acids also has a beneficial effect on muscle growth.

Thanks to increased blood circulation in muscle tissue, vascular tone improves. In the long term, this also contributes to good muscle nutrition and increased blood supply to muscles during training (the "pump" effect). And muscles "on a pump" not only look beautiful (take a closer look at your delts after a couple of sets of vertical press, and you will understand everything), but are also less susceptible to injury, since the blood keeps the muscles warm longer.

Training is a load not only on muscles, but also on the nervous system. And in order to fully recover, you need to give rest to both muscles and the central nervous system. But with the second aspect, everything is not always simple - few can afford such luxury as eight or even ten hours of sleep, a complete absence of stress and a maximum of positive emotions. Massage helps to relax and brings a lot of pleasure. Muscles that are hard from heavy training (or, on the contrary, constant sitting) become soft and flexible in the hands of a master, pain and discomfort disappear. Nerve endings send impulses of pleasure to the brain, and the brain immediately gives the body a command to produce dopamine and oxytocin - hormones of pleasure. Approximately the same hormonal "cocktail" splashes into the blood during sex and masturbation, bringing a feeling of satisfaction, relief, joy and calm. It is no wonder that a course of sports massage relieves not only muscle soreness, but also nervous exhaustion.

If you have had muscle and ligament injuries in the past, massage is a must. In addition to accelerating the recovery of damaged tissue, it will also help to avoid the formation of so-called adhesions. You probably know that bones sometimes heal incorrectly after fractures. Muscle fibers with tendons can “behave” in approximately the same way - after damage, hard adhesions can form during the healing process. They reduce the elasticity of muscles and ligaments, increasing the risk of recurrence of injury, and also lead to discomfort. To avoid the appearance of adhesions, it is recommended to regularly massage damaged muscles and tendons. But this should be done only when the inflammation in the tissues has already passed and the recovery process has begun.

When to do a massage - before or after training?

Here, everything depends on the type of training, the condition of your muscles, and the intensity of the massage itself. At competitions, you can often see how coaches carefully warm up their charges before a swim, a run, or an approach to the barbell. But it is important to know when to stop. Before training or a competitive start, muscles need to be warmed up, but not relaxed. Therefore, a light massage as an element of a warm-up is quite acceptable - especially if the muscle you are going to use has low elasticity or is sore after the last workout.

Deep intensive massage is appropriate after training or on rest days. It will be especially useful for those who constantly suffer from post-training muscle pain. Many athletes practice whole complexes of relaxation measures after particularly difficult training sessions: a pool or bath, a sauna, massage. Following their example, you can go to a massage therapist immediately after training in the gym - many fitness centers even have their own specialists. But sometimes you can do it yourself - self-massage with the right technique will also bring considerable benefits.

How to do self-massage correctly?

If you do self-massage immediately after training, do not forget about the cool-down and stretching - this will perfectly prepare the muscles for further manipulations. On non-training days, it is best to do the massage after a warm shower or bath.

To begin, relax your muscles by gently stroking the skin above them. If you are naked, use cream or oil to avoid unpleasant friction. "Foreplay" will prepare your muscles for more intense stimulation and trigger the production of the already mentioned dopamine and oxytocin, which will reduce pain. And the latter may indeed be present if you have muscle soreness or the notorious post-workout pain.

Gradually increase the intensity of your stroking and apply light pressure with your hands. The position of your hands and the direction of your movements can be arbitrary – listen to your sensations and do what feels comfortable to you. When you feel that your muscles have become soft and pliable enough, move on to more serious measures – gently knead the muscles with your fingers, knuckles or the edge of your palm. If you are doing everything correctly, in about 10 minutes you will feel an unbearable itch under your skin. This means that blood circulation has increased in the muscle. Be patient for a couple of minutes and continue in the same spirit – the blood will drain away and only a feeling of pleasant relaxation will remain.

Some self-massage methods involve the use of various devices. This could be a fashionable foam roller or another convenient massager, even with vibration. Often, all of them come with detailed instructions. Some devices help to reach parts of the body that cannot be massaged with bare hands - usually this is the back. All kinds of rollers do the best job - you can simply put them on the floor and roll them with your back, or "ride" them, holding the massager between your back and the wall. As a budget option for a roller, you can even use a bottle of water or any durable cylindrical object.

Style Summary

In massage, as in any other activity, the main thing is not to overdo it. If you do self-massage (at home or in a gym – it doesn’t matter), don’t get carried away and don’t try to squeeze the juice out of your muscles. Mild pain during massage is acceptable, but severe pain is a signal that you should loosen your grip.

You can do light self-massage every day if you feel that your muscles need it. Intensive and deep massage is best done in courses of 10-20 procedures every few months. But for such serious matters, find a qualified specialist with the appropriate education and experience.

And one more thing. If you want to do a massage because of constant post-workout pain, do it. But permanent pain is an indicator of excessive loads and incomplete recovery. Sooner or later, with such a harsh regime, you will feel all the delights of overtraining , so if you have pain, try not only to include a course of massage, but also to reduce the volume of loads.