We all know that feeling, we've set our goals and our training plan and we are fast out of the blocks. Full of enthusiasm to stay the course and keep our training on track only to hit a niggle or injury that halts our momentum. So what are we missing?!
Good training plans take into account a gradual build up in activity frequency, variety, good habits, consistency and intensity. But great training plans also build in the passive aspects of recovery and rest days! How are you enabling your body to recover from the training load? Ensuring that your programme has an allowance for recovery is the first step but actually committing to sports massage treatments can build in that extra layer of resilience whilst also flagging up problem areas or tightness before it slows you down.
Pre & post event massage is now routine and the benefits truly felt and understood so why aren't we applying the same logic to the training
So as you turn up the dial on any training, how are you taking care of yourself?
Prevention is better than cure
It's a total momentum killer to start hitting a new year training programme hard, especially after the festive break, and run straight into a niggle or injury. It's such a common scenario in clinic. Many new clients seek us out in response to this very thing. If only they had planned to incorporate sports massage for prevention rather than needing to skip straight into rehab and recovery. Often we can get fantastic results getting them back on their feet fast but this only serves to reinforce using Sports Massage as restorative rather than preventative. Shifting to the mindset of actively preventing injury rather than waiting to have an issue before seeking out a sports therapist pays dividends to longevity and performance.
Never ignore the niggle
Those niggles are our bodies red flags. As and when you get these warning signs be sure to listen to your body. For any aches or pains take appropriate rest to help your body repair and adapt gradually to training load. Get niggles looked at before they turn into something that stops you in your tracks.
Don't chase the pain
So much of what we do in sports therapy is detective work. Just because you feel a niggle in one place that's never the full story. There is such a temptation to chase the pain, medicate, rub where it hurts, rest just enough to stop the pain only to see it return. Getting to the crux of what is actually causing the pain is often surprising, simple to rectify and the only true way to move forward. It's a marathon not a sprint after all!
