By Maria Pena
Massage is one of the oldest forms of healing in the world and is very effective. Sports massage can be perceived as just for sportsmen or women but it is just as useful to non-athletes especially if you have a physically demanding job or suffer from chronic pain or dysfunction due to poor posture or stress and tension from everyday life.
Sports massage is an effective therapy for releasing muscle tension and restoring balance to the body and can be used to aid a variety of ailments or injuries. If received regularly, it can help athletes prevent injuries that might be caused by overuse.
Benefits of Sports Massage
*relieves muscle pain
*improves range of movement and flexibility
*breaks down any scar tissue and adhesions
*helps to correct muscle imbalance
*helps increase awareness of good posture
*eases tension and stress
The importance of good posture in everyday life for everyday people
Posture is the position and alignment that we hold our body in whilst standing, sitting or lying down. Poor posture develops over time and affects our movements in everyday life.
Many factors affect posture such as muscle tension, obesity, pregnancy, stress and even sitting or sleeping in poor positions for extended periods of time.
Poor posture can lead to problems such as:
*Lower Back Pain (joint and ligament strain, slipped discs)
*Shoulder pain (Impingement, rotator cuff tears, tendonitis)
*Neck Pain and headaches
*Trapped Nerves
*Sports Injuries (such as hamstring or calf strains)
AND…..
*enhances sports performance
Posture is both static and dynamic. To perform almost all sporting movements, the body switches from position to position at varying speeds and for varying duration. Good posture is essential for the body to perform any movement to the optimal level. Many sports can over-strengthen some muscles which can lead to an imbalance thus leading to poor posture. If the body is not aligned correctly the body will compensate for this and influence movement. This can affect how the body moves dynamically which will therefore affect overall sports performance.
The most important reason to have good posture is to reduce the likelihood of injury and chronic pain. Good posture also activates the deeper core muscles. This helps increase the stability of the body, thereby allowing for more power, speed and better control.