Cross Train and Massage Therapy to Optimize Muscle Movement Efficiency

If you have a specific sport you dedicate large amounts of time to, I highly recommend you cross train in another activity and consistently get massages. By cross training you take a break from the repetitive joint stress produced by your sport and challenge your neuro-muscular system to coordinate with different muscle activation patterns. If you’re a hard core runner, which is a sagittal plane (forwards/backwards) movement, try Zumba, Capoeira or Yoga. Move sideways, move diagonally, invert, do cartwheels, Cha-Cha! The idea is to vary your movements. Challenge your body at all angles to keep it fluid, strong, and prepared for the unpredictable movements of life!

Massage therapy is an excellent way to decrease muscle tension by breaking up stuck muscle fibers, increasing circulation, therefore improving the flow and exchange of fluids and hydrating connective tissue. Muscles sometimes strangle themselves, in a sense. When tightness is chronic everything will be compromised – mobility, breath, mood, sleep, to name a few. Some massage work may be painful, especially if the muscle is harboring “trigger points” (taut bands of muscle fibers within the muscle), but should remain tolerable. Each treatment builds upon the next, and each subsequent treatment will feel more tolerable allowing for deeper work resulting in greater benefit.

Massage feels awesome! It’s therapeutic, it helps with getting better sleep, it’s invigorating and it strengthens the immune system. It benefits a slew of chronic conditions, doctors should prescribe it and health insurance should cover it as part of their preventive wellness plan. It’s not a luxury!

A couple of one hour sessions a month is a good start for health and wellness. Weekly sessions for a shorter duration if you want to address a specific issue. It’s worth it! Your future you will thank you!

Stand Tall, Breathe Deep-
Corina,
ACE/NASM Certified Trainer
NYS Licensed Massage Therapist