Post Marathon / Triathlon / Mud Run Massage
Marathons take a toll on your body. We won’t even go into mud runs, with their barbed electrical wire, fire pits, and extreme physical demands. Next time you are training for a high-endurance event, consider utilizing the regenerative power of massage to help you recover faster, avoid soreness, and perform at your personal best.
Why does massage help with muscle recovery? All vigorous exercise creates tiny tears in the muscles being used. Your immune system then kicks in, drawing blood to the muscle and attempting to repair it. Massage has been proven to both reduce inflammation-causing compounds called cytokines, and to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. What that means to you – less soreness, faster recovery, and no need to battle inflammation with conventional anti-inflammatory drugs.
According to a study done on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), the ideal time to receive a massage is approximately two and a half hours after you have finished exercising. Of course, not everyone can hit this time frame, which is ok. Many marathons now have brief massages (around 15 mins.) available on-site after the race, at a very affordable cost, but if you squeeze in a visit to Reflexion Spa for a massage within 24 hours of finishing the event, you can avoid some of the soreness and shorten the recovery time you need to get back to peak performance.
