The post How Massage Can Help You Recover from Skiing appeared first on Soothe.
]]>Incorporating massage into your ski preparation and recovery routine can reduce soreness, improve flexibility, and prevent injuries, helping you get back on the slopes faster. Whether you’re preparing for a weeklong ski trip or just need some post-ski relief, massage can be your secret weapon for staying limber, pain-free, and ready for more.
Skiing is a full-body workout that demands balance, endurance, and strength. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most injury-prone winter sports. Some common ski injuries include:
Even if you avoid injury, muscle fatigue and soreness are inevitable after a long day of skiing. This is where a massage can help.
Massage therapy isn’t just a healthy practice—it’s an effective recovery tool that can keep skiers stay in peak condition throughout the season. Whether you opt for a deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, or sports massage, here are some key benefits:
After skiing, your muscles are fatigued and tight. Sports massage techniques release knots, improve circulation, and promote relaxation, so you wake up feeling refreshed rather than stiff.
Deep tissue massage stimulates blood flow to injured areas, promoting faster healing and reduced inflammation. This can be crucial for skiers recovering from minor strains or muscle imbalances.
Skiing demands flexibility in your legs, hips, and back. Massage helps increase range of motion, reducing the risk of injuries like muscle pulls or ligament strains.
Massage techniques such as Swedish massage improve oxygen flow to muscles, which helps flush out lactic acid and other toxins that contribute to soreness.
Stiff knees and sore ankles after skiing? Massage can increase mobility in your joints, keeping them strong and flexible for better balance on the slopes.
A massage after a ski session calms the nervous system and promotes deeper, more restful sleep, essential for muscle recovery.
Massage helps the mind unwind, too. The relaxation it provides can help relieve ski-trip stress (like that traffic jam on the way up the mountain).
Skiing requires excellent balance and coordination. Massage therapy can help improve your proprioception, making you more in touch with your body’s positioning and reducing the risk of falls.
By improving blood flow and reducing tension, massage aids in the recovery of tendons and ligaments, helping skiers bounce back from minor injuries.
Before hitting the slopes, a sports or deep tissue massage can help warm up the muscles, improve circulation, and improve flexibility. This reduces the risk of injury and ensures your body is prepared for an intense day of skiing.
After skiing, a Swedish or deep tissue massage can relieve muscle tightness, reduce inflammation, and accelerate recovery. Many skiers opt for a mid-trip massage to stay limber and pain-free for the rest of their vacation.
If you’ve strained a muscle or are dealing with joint pain, targeted massage therapy can speed up healing and prevent long-term damage.
A great ski trip doesn’t have to end with sore muscles and stiffness. Whether you’re shredding the slopes in Vail, Park City, Tahoe, or Killington, booking a massage can help keep you skiing and feeling great.
Soothe offers on-demand massages, so you can get a therapeutic massage delivered straight to your cabin, hotel, or home—because nothing beats ending your ski day with total relaxation.
The post How Massage Can Help You Recover from Skiing appeared first on Soothe.
]]>The post How a Massage Can Help You Recover From Golfing appeared first on Soothe.
]]>Most of your body is engaged when you swing a golf club. From your shoulders, which provide power during a swing to your core, driving that momentum into a club head, a lot is going on. It can also impact your forearms and lower back, which can lead to stiffness if done repeatedly. Intense muscle contractions are occurring followed by a sudden release, which while it may sound like you’re getting a good workout in, can cause micro-tears and fatigue.
Proper recovery techniques are essential to rebuild your strength and mitigate body stiffness. Here are some common injuries to look out for:
A golfer’s elbow is a common overuse injury that is caused by repetitive gripping, swinging, and wrist flexion during a golf swing. It results in inflammation of the tendons that attach to the inside of your elbow. Symptoms include pain and tenderness on the inner elbow, weakness in grip strength, and a sensation of stiffness or ache that can extend down the forearm. Without proper recovery and treatment, a golfer’s elbow can significantly impact your performance and comfort while partaking in the sport.
The rotational forces required for a strong golf swing often put stress on the lower back, particularly if proper form and posture aren’t maintained. Without proper form, you may experience muscle strains, ligament sprains, or even more serious conditions such as herniated discs. Lower back strain manifests as pain during or after a play, with stiffness, and difficulty in bending or twisting. Addressing these issues early with proper care can help prevent chronic pain and long-term injury.
Repetitive overhead movements and excessive rotation during the golf swing can lead to impingement of the shoulder tendons, particularly in the rotator cuff. An impingement results in pain, reduced range of motion, and weakness in the shoulder, often worsening over time if left untreated. Shoulder impingements can interfere with a golfer’s ability to execute a full, smooth swing.
Incorporating regular warm-ups, maintaining proper posture, and focusing on core and flexibility exercises can help mitigate these injuries. Recovery tools like massage therapy are also critical for reducing muscle tension and inflammation, promoting healing, and preventing further strain.
Integrating Theragun® percussive therapy into your wellness routine not only supports injury prevention but also helps you in the recovery process, ensuring you’re always at your best on the links.
When in doubt about your preventative injury or recovery routine, consult your physician for guidance on what is best for you.
Golfing targets several major muscle groups in the body. Here are a few ways a massage for golfers can help performance, whether you’re preparing for a tournament or looking to wind down after golfing.
Pain Relief
A massage can help reduce muscle soreness from the repetitive movement of swinging a club and using the same muscle groups over and over.
Injury Prevention
By getting massages regularly, golfers can address tightness that could turn into strains or sprains early on. This also improves muscle elasticity and joint mobility.
Improves Flexibility
Massages can increase your body’s range of motion, relaxing tightened muscles, which can optimize your swing on the golf course.
At Soothe, we understand the unique physical demands that golfers face and offer specialized sports massage services to support your recovery and performance. Our licensed massage therapists are trained to address muscle groups commonly affected by golfing, such as the forearms, shoulders, and lower back. By focusing on these areas, our sports massages aim to reduce muscle soreness, alleviate tension, and improve flexibility, all of which are crucial for an optimal swing.
To improve the effectiveness of our treatments, Soothe offers percussive therapy using Theragun®, a device that delivers rapid, targeted pulses to deep muscle tissues. This approach is particularly effective for addressing golfer’s elbow, helping to alleviate pain, reduce stiffness, and improve your range of motion, ensuring a faster and more focused recovery.
Booking a massage with Soothe is convenient and tailored to your schedule. With flexible scheduling options, you can easily incorporate regular massages into your routine, ensuring consistent care and support for your golfing activities, no matter the time of year.
The post How a Massage Can Help You Recover From Golfing appeared first on Soothe.
]]>The post Lactic Acid Buildup: What Athletes Need to Know About Lactic Acidosis appeared first on Soothe.
]]>For most athletes, lactic acid is simply a part of them pushing their limits. However, if you push too much, it can lead to a condition called lactic acidosis, posing more serious health complications. This occurs when lactic acid levels rise too high in someone, causing fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms that could be a harbinger of underlying health problems or even hinder your athletic performance.
Understanding how lactic acid works and when it becomes a problem is crucial for maximizing your performance and keeping yourself healthy. We’ll break down what athletes need to know about lactic acid buildup, lactic acidosis symptoms, and lactic acidosis treatments to keep you in peak condition to meet your athletic goals.
Lactic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid produced in the muscles during strenuous activity. This chemical breaks down carbohydrates for energy within the body. This can come from any tissue in the body, not just your muscles and blood cells, though, they do create the majority of the lactic acid.²
While lactic acid builds up during a tough workout, it can also occur in a few other ways. Yardwork, carrying groceries, or even moving heavy furniture during a move can all cause a short-term increase in lactic acid in your body.
Under typical oxygen-rich conditions (aerobic metabolism), your body can efficiently convert glucose into energy, which produces carbon dioxide and water as its byproducts. When engaging in the above activities in a short amount of time, the body’s supply of oxygen cannot keep up with energy demands. When that happens, your body’s muscles shift to anaerobic metabolism, which does not require oxygen to generate energy. This process converts glucose to energy, producing lactic acid as a byproduct.²
For most humans, lactic acid buildup is a temporary condition that resolves itself as soon as the activity that triggers it stops. It only becomes an issue when lactic acid production far exceeds the body’s ability to clear it, causing a more serious condition called lactic acidosis to occur. In extreme cases, this can be dangerous or even fatal. While it is rare, athletes should know how to identify it.³
Health conditions can exacerbate lactic acidosis by making it harder for your body to process fresh oxygen in your cells. The most common symptoms of lactic acidosis include²:
When pushing yourself during any activity outside of your norm, be sure to keep an eye on how you feel. “No pain no gain” may be an easy mantra to say, but in the case of lactic acidosis, this could be a dangerous mantra to hold when you’re physically exhausted. Your liver and kidneys will be able to break down that extra lactic acid when you’re done.
Don’t be afraid of a hard workout, but be sure to rest and recover as your body tells you to. Here are some ways you can manage the soreness of exercise:
If you find yourself constantly exhausted as you are training to meet a new goal of yours, it may be worth asking your physician about a lactic acid level test. This lab blood test will test your lactic acid level if the doctor suspects lactic acidosis. Having high lactic acid doesn’t automatically mean that you are at risk for the more serious condition of lactic acidosis, but your physician can help you analyze your results further in the context of your health history².
Another test that is offered is a lactate threshold test. This test is one that many career athletes invest in as a part of their training to understand the upper limits of their endurance and train safer for as long as possible. In short, this test makes you perform increasingly strenuous exercise with several points for blood monitoring to check the lactic acid in your blood in real time.²
The best advice will always come from your medical team, but you should never intentionally work out until you’re exhausted. Taking care of yourself starts even before you start exercising. Staying hydrated, eating well, and getting enough sleep are all great preventative measures. Beyond that, stretching out muscles or doing a warmup can go a long way. After exercising, you can help your body recover. Consider electrolytes as needed, take a warm bath, and unwind with some more stretching. These recovery methods can help you boost your circulation, ease muscular tension, and reduce stiffness.
Incorporating these practices into your routine can make a significant difference in how your body responds to lactic acid buildup. Your fitness journey can include you pushing your limits while also mitigating safety risks. A sports massage can target muscles that are overworked repetitively, but it can’t remove lactic acid buildup in your body.⁴ Despite that, it can be a valuable tool for recovery after a strenuous workout. By making a massage a part of your recovery routine, you can better support your overall athletic performance.
1.Robergs RA, McNulty CR, Minett GM, Holland J, Trajano G. Lactate, not Lactic Acid, is Produced by Cellular Cytosolic Energy Catabolism. Physiology. 2018;33(1):10-12. doi:https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00033.2017
2.Cleveland Clinic. What Is Lactic Acid? Cleveland Clinic. Published December 9, 2022. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24521-lactic-acid
3.Brodkey F. Lactic acidosis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. Published 2016. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000391.htm4.Thompson D. The Lactic Acid Debate. Massage and Bodywork Magazine for the Visually Impaired. Published online March 1, 2011. Accessed October 1, 2024. https://www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=173
The post Lactic Acid Buildup: What Athletes Need to Know About Lactic Acidosis appeared first on Soothe.
]]>The post How a Massage Can Help You Recover From Pickleball appeared first on Soothe.
]]>Here are some common injuries to look out for, and pickleball recovery strategies, including a sports massage for pickleball players that will help keep you out of a pickle.
Playing pickleball works out your entire body, with a focus on your core, shoulders, and legs. From reaching to lunging and twisting yourself in unique ways, the agility can take a toll on your body. These are five common injuries to look out for:
Sprains can occur from quick twists, turns, or pivots while playing pickleball. It is an injury to a ligament that is stretched or even torn due to these quick moves.
Fractures occur when there is a crack or split in the bone when too much force is applied to it. Too much force could be you taking a fall on the pickleball court’s hard surface, attempting to catch the fall with your arm, and ending up with a wrist fracture.
Your shoulders can bear the brunt of the repetitive motions of swinging a paddle in pickleball. When the shoulder is overused, a rotator cuff can tear, which causes pain and some difficulty limiting your arm’s range of motion.
Tendonitis occurs when a tendon is inflamed, which can cause it to swell and be painful. This can limit your range of motion due to the pain and swelling from the impacted area.
While many have heard of tennis elbow, pickleball elbow is the same phenomenon called lateral epicondylitis, which is a focused type of tendonitis in the elbow.
As with any injury, you want to take care of yourself, listen to your medical team, listen to your body, and only take on physical movements that are approved by that team during your recovery time. You’ll be back on the court in no time!
Everyone’s routine may look different for mitigating injury based on your lifestyle, history of injuries, and overall health. If you’re recovering from an injury related to pickleball, you could be off the court for a while. When in doubt, contact your physician to ensure you are taking the optimal steps to mitigate common injuries faced in pickleball.
Here are some pickleball preparation and recovery steps you can take before and after you spend time on the court.
Our body releases sweat as a way of regulating body temperature during physical activity. Drinking water regularly can help your body stay hydrated and in balance for peak performance. Electrolytes or other vitamin supplementation can help mitigate dehydration so you can continue playing without negative side effects.
The investment into what shoes you wear, to the paddle you hold during a pickleball match can help you to mitigate injuries on the court. Investing the time into proper technique and the right tools for the sport will pay off in dividends when it comes to your health.
Before, during, and after a match are all great opportunities to stretch your limbs out. The two benefits of stretching include increased flexibility and mobility. Pickleball’s multiplanar movements mean that you should spend up to ten minutes prioritizing stretches around the common injury areas, such as the shoulder, leg, and back muscles.
As a form of heat therapy, steam rooms, and saunas can play a part in one’s pickleball recovery by relaxing the muscles. This reduces the impact of muscle contraction after intense movement.
Rolling out your sore muscles with a foam roller or percussive sports massage tool is a great way to release tension in your muscles after a match. This is a way to promote self-myofascial release (SMR). A roller allows you to apply pressure to targeted sore areas, such as the iliotibial (IT) band, hamstrings, or glutes.
A massage after sports exertion is a great form of aftercare that you can set up in advance. Mobile sports massages offer targeted relief personalized to what you need at that moment.
No matter what your pickleball recovery routine looks like, consistency is key to maintaining your physiological health. Feel free to try the above options, or add them in one session at a time to see what impact it has on your ability to crush it on the court.
A sports massage targets muscle groups strained from overuse or repetitive motion, and can bring great relief to those who partake in physical activity such as pickleball. The main benefits of a sports massage for pickleball players include accelerated injury recovery, reduced muscle soreness, and enhanced performance.
Through deep kneading and stretching techniques, a sports massage helps release muscle tension to make movements more fluid. Additionally, by improving circulation, this type of massage helps muscles receive a greater supply of oxygen and nutrients crucial for healing and recovery.
Soothe’s network of skilled sports massage therapists are dedicated to helping you prevent future injuries. Each treatment is tailored specifically to your needs, moving beyond generic approaches to offer a truly personalized experience.
Getting a sports massage near you is convenient and easy with Soothe. Book with licensed massage therapists who can come directly to your location on your schedule, whether it’s your home, office, or hotel room.
The post How a Massage Can Help You Recover From Pickleball appeared first on Soothe.
]]>The post Sports Massage: What It Is, Benefits, And What To Expect appeared first on Soothe.
]]>The post Sports Massage: What It Is, Benefits, And What To Expect appeared first on Soothe.
]]>