Cycling is a versatile, accessible sport that can help your entire body get the exercise it needs. Not only does cycling utilise all of your major muscle groups, but helps with focus, stamina, balance and shifting hard-to-reach fat. What’s more, cycling can be enjoyed by most people, including children and older folk, making it a great all-round family activity. Nearly 3.6 million people ride a bike each week in Australia, a number which is likely to grow as more people become environmentally conscious.
Whilst it causes less strain and injuries than most forms of exercise, that doesn’t mean that your muscles won’t feel sore after a good ride. Cycling can cause acute injury, or contribute to wear and tear over time, which is why massage can be so beneficial.
Throughout this article, we will cover the benefits that sports massages bring to cyclists as well as sports massage techniques suited specifically to people who love to cycle on a regular basis. With our advice, you can rejuvenate and relax your body to prepare yourself to get on the road and avoid injury.
What are the benefits of massage for cyclists
Sports massage eases muscle pain following intense or regular cycling. It also helps to prevent future injury. Cycling primarily utilises your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles whilst riding. But many of your other muscles are affected, particularly your wrists and ankles. These can lead to cycling injuries such as pulled muscles, muscle tightness and muscle fatigue. This pain and tension can be alleviated by an experienced massage therapist during a sports massage. Other issues worth addressing are posture issues and lower back pain, both of which are associated with extended periods of cycling in a hunched over position. Regular massages in between strenuous cycling periods encourage faster recovery in your muscles and helps you to get back on your bike just that bit easier.
Sports massage for soft tissue
Sports massage for cyclists hastens the healing of soft tissue in your body. A soft tissue massage involves a variety of depths, pressures and durations in order to relax your muscles, increase blood circulation and speed up the healing of muscular tissue among many other benefits. When it comes to cycling injuries like tendonitis, knee injuries and pulled muscles, a sports massage focused on soft tissue is one of the more effective ways of encouraging recovery.
Circulation and blood flow is an incredibly important thing to consider for any cyclist. One of the major benefits of a sports massage for cyclists is the immediate improvement in blood flow you will feel. This stimulates your body by bringing oxygen and nutrients as well as removing waste products, leading to accelerated recovery throughout your body. It also helps to provide circulation to the areas of the body which typically see less blood flow such as the Achilles tendon. This helps you to avoid future injuries as well as to best manage those you are currently suffering from.
How do you feel after a sports massage?
Following a sports massage, you will find you have an increased range of movement and more flexibility within your muscles. Not only does this lead to fewer injuries as your muscles are no longer tight and strained but can improve your posture and strengthen your core. The benefits of a massage for cyclists are numerous and not limited to those we have detailed here. All of these benefits are the result of a sports massage from an experienced massage therapist.
Why choose a sports massage for cyclists
For cyclists, there is no better massage to help rejuvenate your muscles than a sports massage by an experienced massage therapist. A sports massage is performed with the intention of preparing your body for continued exercise, this includes beneficial maintenance of your body and muscles. It is designed to deal with typical injuries one may receive from strenuous exercise as much as it is to prevent future injuries from occurring. Whilst giving a sports massage, an experienced massage therapist will be looking for these injuries and highlighting areas which are prone to them, thus making them far more equipped to deal with any problems.
When undertaking a sports massage, your experienced massage therapist will be aware of the specific massage techniques which benefit cyclists and other athletes. These include deep tissue manipulation and an array of stretching techniques which lead to greater muscle health and muscle performance. The hamstrings for instance are rarely fully stretched whilst cycling which can result in them shortening, something which can even lead to lower back pain. Within a sports massage, deep stretching techniques can alleviate this problem and allow the muscles to resume their intended state.
What else can a sports massage do for you?
Sports massages for cyclists also bring a number of psychological benefits in addition to the aforementioned physical ones. Cycling can be a trying and tiring activity, especially if you participate in challenging events and races on a regular basis. This, if left alone, can lead to negative emotional responses and poor wellbeing. Luckily sports massages, through the physical effects on your body, produce beneficial psychological results. For instance, a deep tissue massage stimulates your muscles and increases adrenaline and endorphins, heightening your mental state in a positive way as exercise itself can. What’s more, a sports massage creates a parasympathetic response within your body, this releases tension within your muscles and lowers your blood pressure which reduces feelings of stress.
Any experienced massage therapist understands that a sports massage does not simply relax muscles and help you to feel better physically, but also emotionally. Which is why they will cater the massage to you with a tailored experience that brings the most benefit to both your body and your wellbeing.
Blys Mobile Massage is here for you
Providing an exceptional sports massage to ease your muscles and introduce rejuvenation and relaxation to your life, Blys Mobile Massage is ready to help. Offering flexible appointments to suit your busy schedule, an experienced massage therapist will bring everything required to give you a blissful massage right to your front door. Find out if Blys Mobile Massage operates in your area by clicking here and see how simple and easy it is to bring the massage of your dreams, to you.
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