Get rubbed the right way

Massages per say are great. It is now a well-known fact that leading runners all over the world have masseurs as part of their training team. A rub down after a race can really relax the runner by helping recovery by reducing muscle stiffness.

However, it is not an absolute must to have a masseur come home and rub you down. Some self-massaging techniques like using the foam roller is an excellent way to release the tension (trigger points) in muscles hence loosening them. But while using foam rollers or tennis balls it is important to note that putting too much pressure while using the foam roller or tennis balls could actually be counter productive by making your muscles go into spasms or get tight like as though they are going into a defensive mode. Hence, one should note that prior to the race the massage should be slightly softer and after the race one can do a deep tissue massage to remove all stress points in the muscles.

Some of the massages that the runner can go for are:

• Swedish Massage

This can be done prior to the run as it is a softer and gentler form of massage.

• Deep Tissue Massage

This is normally done after the race. Deep tissue massage can be quite intense as it targets both the superficial and deep layers of muscles. Deep tissue massages typically focus on a few specific problem areas and, unlike trigger point therapy, work the entire muscle.

• Trigger Point Release

This is something like deep tissue but this form of massage focuses more on muscle knots and referred pain the muscle tissue.

—Inputs provided by Pilates and fitness experts Samir Purohit and Namrata Purohit