SOMA GET FIT.

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in the Holistic Approach to Health And Fitness

by Robert McAlister

When Bob Hope reached 100 years of age, people wanted to know what his secret was. His answer: a daily massage.

As a massage therapist, I would certainly agree with Mr. Hope’s answer. Massage can indeed increase the length and quality of life, and volumes have been written about the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of massage therapy.

The ancient Greeks had a saying: “Massage can never be fully appreciated by the common man.” By “common man,” they were not referring to a person’s financial status or social class, however. “Common man” in this context was a reference to someone who lacked athletic grace. In ancient Greece the athlete was an emblem of the best that Greek culture had to offer. These athletes pushed themselves and their bodies to the limit time and time again to achieve their goals; as a result, they were the ones who could fully appreciate the benefits of massage. While anyone might enjoy massage as a form of relaxation, as a catalyst for living a longer life, or as a method for relieving muscular problems, the athlete is in a special position to also recognize and value the performance benefits of massage therapy: that is, they know that the properly massaged body can go a little farther, perform a little better, than a body which is not.

While it has long been recognized that massage can raise athletic performance levels, most people in the fitness world seek out a massage only after the body has received a quota of physical abuse. They seek it out as a restorative technique, rather than as a performance and protective technique. When a sports massage is properly administered as a performance and protective technique, you can do whatever it is you like to do—no matter what your fitness level—better, longer, and more easily. Massage can effectively raise your performance levels at the same time it lowers the stress levels placed upon on your body.

5 BENEFITS OF THE SPORTS MASSAGE

Maintains your entire body’s physical condition
Helps prevent injury and loss of mobility in potential trouble spots
Boosts performance and endurance
Heals and restores mobility to injured muscle tissue
Extends overall good health, fitness life, and lifespan

Everything about sports massage is an “extra.” It works through a practical application of kinesiology, which provides additional help for motion problems beyond the scope of physical therapy. It administers a counterbalance to the effects of strain and overexertion, which means an extra measure of protection and performance unattainable by training and conditioning alone. In the end, sports massage will give you one of the greatest “extras” out there—that of time. Time to do what you want to do, at the level you desire to do it.

Increased performance, reduced strain, longer athletic life, more time—these among the many and varied benefits sports massage can provide to anyone willing to give it a try.

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