The following article is a contribution by Ion Doaga, owner of Massage Dreams.
Is massage on your to-do list?
It probably is, but it’s somewhere at the bottom of the list. You know you should have massages, but there’s always a ton of projects that need to be finished. Wait until pain occurs and then you urgently look for help.
It’s like dealing with your vehicle. If you don’t do any maintenance on your car, and only refill the gas tank and drive, sooner or later your car will break. Then you’ll have to take it to a mechanic, because now you ended up with a serious problem. However, you could have avoided this problem with minimum upkeep.
You have only one body and you choose how well it will serve you. Unfortunately, often we don’t see the value in it until pain hits us. However, there are certain kinds of people who do a better job at this, like athletes for example.
Understanding the benefits of massage
All elite athletes have regular massages, because they understand the value of their bodies. It’s their asset in which they invest.
One of the hottest massage trends among athletes is Thai Massage, which combines massage, acupressure, energy work and yoga stretches.
It is a perfect blend for those who do a lot of physical work and need to stay at an optimal competing level.
And there are good reasons for that.
1. When being “lazy” is the right choice
Athletes need their down time.
Most athletes have a busy training schedule and very little time to rest in between trainings. They could choose to sleep, read a book or watch television, but they often choose to have a massage.
Thai massage offers athletes the opportunity to be “lazy”, where the only thing they have to do is let go and relax, while the therapist moves their body into various stretching positions. After all, Thai Massage is sometimes called the “lazy man’s yoga”.
The more you relax, the more benefit you’ll get. It’s no wonder that athletes are so interested in it.
2. Life is easier in a flexible body
Successful athletes have to be flexible.
If the mobility of athletes is limited, their moves are shorter, faster and less coordinated. And this puts them at a disadvantage in their performance. For this reason stretching is on their radar.
Thai massage is a unique combination of stretching techniques and massage, which conveniently allows athletes to enjoy the benefits of both in one single practice.
They can feel their spine lengthening, their hips opening, their shoulders releasing – all without having to make any effort on their own. It’s the perfect solution for athletes, and this is where Thai Massage shines.
3. A balanced body is safer from injuries
Sprains, strains, and even broken bones are often part of an athletic lifestyle.
Athletes often exceed their limits, which means that they are at higher risk of injuries.
Some of the main causes of injury are muscle tension and muscular imbalances within the body.
That’s where Thai Massage really helps since it provides a greater degree of flexibility, reduces muscle tension, and creates balance in many aspects within the body.
The benefits are not only physical, but also psychological. Regular Thai Massage can result in a more flexible, balanced, pain free body which in turn can helps athletes to increase their level of confidence.
4. Winning the mental game
Now when your body is ready to perform without any physical limitation, it’s all about the mental game.
There are no weak specimen among the best athletes. All of them are talented. They all trained hard and did their homework. The differences on the physical level between them are actually quite small.
However what happens on their mental levels can make a significant difference and is therefore an important factor. Worries and negative thought patterns can be overwhelming, and they can result in athletes making uncharacteristic mistakes. Letting go of such thoughts is not an easy task.
In addition to improving physical conditions, Thai Massage also helps to relax the mind and reduce worries and non productive thought patterns before the competition.
This can help high performance athletes stay cool under fire.
Ion Doaga is the owner of Massage Dreams where he writes about health and wellness, massage and alternative treatments. He educates about fire cupping therapy and other healing treatments.