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Sports massages work wonders for athletes, and everyone else

Athletes know the importance of a proper nutrition and training program, but how many consider the benefits of adding massage to their routine?

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Athletes know the importance of a proper nutrition and training program, but how many consider the benefits of adding massage to their routine?

Though many people consider it a relaxing or destressing technique - think about how many massage gift certificates are given for Mother's Day and, increasingly, Father's Day - a sports massage can also help prevent injuries and enhance athletes' performance.

Jonathan Baer, a licensed massage therapist at Philadelphia's Sporting Club at the Bellevue, described sports massage as a deep-tissue massage with more stretching and more range-of-motion elements. The focus is on the connective tissue (the fascia) because it tends to toughen up with overuse and repetitive movement, which sets up the body for injury.

This kind of massage "is a full-body workout. I will ask a client to do active stretching while I am working on the targeted area," he said.

Another way to look at it is as a massage with a goal. The massage therapist can tailor treatment to help the athlete achieve specific personal goals like running a marathon or participating in a triathlon. For example, Baer will concentrate on the legs of a runner or the arms and shoulders of a baseball player.

Scheduling a regular sports massage, Baer said, could help keep the body fluid. "Massage increases circulation, so the joints don't stiffen up so fast. Just by working out tender spots that drain energy allows the athlete to have better stamina and increased range of motion to push his or her body further."

The benefits of massage for athletes have not been widely studied. However, researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California and McMaster University in Ontario found massage reduced inflammation after exercise, and a study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness looked at how relaxed muscles increase range of motion and flexibility.

How often should an athlete get a massage? That depends on where you are in training, be it weeks before the event, a couple of days leading up to it, or right after the big race or game. Baer recommends scheduling more massages leading up to the event and especially afterward. Weekly or even twice a week is a good number to shoot for.

Many professional sports teams, including the 76ers and Eagles, incorporate sports massage into their players' training, but it is beneficial for the weekend warrior, too. Besides targeting overworked muscles, amateur athletes can benefit from correction of their posture after spending all week hunched at a desk.