With the beginning of the great weather we see an increase in outdoor activity, people trying to get back into shape or starting their favorite outdoor activities again. Unfortunately, along with the increase in activity we see an increase in injuries as well.
At The Wellness Center, we offer massage to local Denver Colorado residents and out of town guests, while we love seeing our clients often we also want to make sure that our clients stay healthy and prevent injuries. Massage is a great adjunct to any athlete’s regimen whether you are a weekend warrior, recreational exerciser, or professional athlete, regular Denver sports massage can alleviate pain, soreness, stiffness and help prevent injuries.
Here are some tips to help you stay injury free this summer!
- Warm up your muscles before you begin to exercise. Do a light version of the activities you are about to engage in. If you are going to run, begin with a light jog. If you will be playing tennis, do some practice swings and hits, gradually gaining in speed and intensity before your match.
- Cool down after your muscles after your workout. Do not just stop cold and go home. Do the same thing as for warm-up, a lighter version of your workout.
- Stretch after your workout and cool down. Do some slow easy stretching, and hold the stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. Fast, hard or bouncing stretches can actually have the opposite effect, triggering the muscle to contract. There is mounting evidence that you should not stretch prior to a workout or event because this weakens the muscle and makes you more prone to injury-and you should never stretch cold muscles.
- Nutrition Your body will need lots of nutrients to heal from an intense workout. A protein shake after your activities followed by a nutritious well balanced meal will go a long way toward keeping your muscles healthy. Consult a professional for guidelines specific to your body and sport.
- Hydration Be sure to maintain your fluid intake throughout the day as well as an electrolyte and amino acid replacement beverage during intense workouts.
- Variation Don’t engage in the same activities every day. Cross train, make sure you are using different muscles in different ways regularly to avoid imbalances. Also be sure to vary your route and terrain for the same reasons.
- High Frequency-Low Duration When beginning a new sport or routine, begin by breaking up the total time you are devoting into small blocks. For example if you want to run for an hour per day break it up into two half hour blocks.
- Massage/Chiropractic/Physical Therapy Keeping your body in proper alignment, and correcting structural imbalances is very important to avoiding injury. It is also critical to keep the muscle tissue healthy to prevent injury. Denver Colorado massage is excellent way to manage injury prevention and to keep your body flexible and your muscles supple. Often people are inclined to use Denver sports massage only when an injury has already occurred but sports massage, Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy are as important to prevention as they are to recovery.