Helena- BOOST PHYSIO Massage Therapist

I massage many athletes and runners at Boost Physio and I use a variety of techniques like Deep Tissue Massage and Soft Tissue Release (STR). STR is a specialised stretch where specific areas within a larger muscle are targeted. It is used to effectively release tension in areas of muscles that normal massage or general stretches aren’t able to reach, to break up adhesions and increase the flexibililty in the muscle tissue. This can in turn increase the range of movement and improve the quality of movement in joints.

I have used a combination of Deep Tissue and Swedish massage and STR with runners and athelets with excellent results. The treatment helps to prepare the patient for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to reduce muscle tension and prevent injuries.

Massage is especially important for runners who run more than 35 miles per week. The more miles you run, the more strain your muscles are under and the more beneficial massage is. If you incorporate massage into your training schedule it will help you to train optimally.

By having a massage treatment immediatly before or after an event will also help reduce the muscle spasms that occurs with vigorous exercise.

Don't be a Weekend Warrior- make sure your fitness level matches your activity level

The key to injury prevention is always in the preparation! The ‘Weekend
Warrior’ patients that we see, are all guilty of doing too little training
during the week and not being adequately fit for playing their sport.

Don’t forget that training should be specific
to your sports, so if you are playing football,
cycling may be helpful but running and
shuttle sprints would be better. The most
common football injuries that are treated at
BOOST PHYSIO are hamstring, calf and groin
muscle injuries.
Most of our patients who have injured
themselves in sport do not warm-up. Spend 10
minutes warming up. Don’t confuse warmingup
with stretching, these are two different
things. Warming up involves aerobic exercise
to raise the heart rate and body temperature
gradually and should include activities specific
to the sport being performed. For sports like
football and netball starting with jogging and
progressing to a faster run for short shuttles
is important. During the last 2 minutes of
the warm up then do specific stretches to
the high risk areas such as the quadriceps,
hamstrings, groin and calf muscles – this
ensures there is sufficient elasticity in
the muscles.
While the research on stretching is
controversial as to whether it actually
reduces the chances of an injury, you will
not find an elite athlete who does not spend
time stretching.