Types of Massage for Athletes

Types of Massage for Athletes

Athletes looking to improve their performance, conditioning, and recovery-time from injuries, turn to massage therapy on a regular basis as preventative maintenance. This can be an essential weapon in an athlete’s training arsenal. Massage techniques can be tailored to each athlete—and can be used as a pre-workout warm-up or a post-workout stretch designed to reduce soreness and increase flexibility.
As a massage practitioner, you’ll have a wide range of treatment options for your clients. Some approaches include techniques for increasing endurance before an athletic event, or relieving stress after an event. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, some of the ways massage therapy aids athletes includes:

• Reducing muscle tension
• Helping athletes monitor muscle tone
• Promoting relaxation
• Increasing range of motion
• Decreasing muscle stiffness and soreness after exercise
• Enhancing athletic performance
• Helping to prevent injuries when massage is received regularly

At the Soma Institute, students of the Clinical Massage Therapy program have the option of gaining experience in Soma’s on-campus teaching clinic. Working directly with the public under the guidance of Soma’s faculty, these students perform sports massage with NCAA Division I athletes at Loyola University. This is invaluable field experience for any student studying massage therapy.
If you’ve ever thought about a career in massage therapy—specifically working with professional athletes, begin your journey today by visiting the Soma Institute’s website to learn more!