MASSAGE FOR POST-RUN RECOVERY
Massage therapy is regarded as one of the most important aspects of an athlete’s training arsenal due to its use as preventative maintenance and assistance in recovery. It’s not just viewed as a luxury but as a necessity for athletes or people who live an active lifestyle.
How can a post-event massage help, and what are the benefits? What should you expect from your session?
BENEFITS OF MASSAGE FOR OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTERS
What’s the top athlete’s secret to performing at their optimal level as a competitor? They make recovery a top priority, massage therapy specifically! The soft tissue treatment that comes from the different modalities massage therapy offers is a vital component of a weightlifter's recovery. Some of the benefits you can get are an increase in circulation, increased flexibility, a decrease in overall tension, pain reduction, and improvement in your sleep!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
As fitness professionals, we talk a lot about aspects of physical health and fitness, but mental and emotional health are also important for our wellbeing. In fact, regular mindfulness practice has been linked to improved physical health as well as mental. In today's fast-paced world, finding moments of peace and clarity can be challenging. Enter meditation and mindfulness, powerful practices that have numerous mental, emotional, and physical benefits.
MEET BLAKE BERNSTEIN: PFP’S Newest Trainer & Massage Therapist
Meet Blake! Blake is our newest trainer and licensed massage therapist. Working in both fields, he understands the importance of balance. Being your healthiest means working out hard and making the time to recover properly!
MEET TIFFANY MARTINCIC: Massage Therapist, Fascial Stretch Therapist, & Rock Tape Practitioner
Hi PFP! My name is Tiffany, and I’m excited to be the new massage therapist here! I recently moved here from Florida with my family. I have been practicing massage since 2014 and have two college degrees in exercise science and kinesiology. I have worked in sports and clinical settings since I graduated.
RECOVERY: THE BEST WAYS TO RESTORE YOUR BODY
Recovery is a commonly used term to describe the physiological processes that bring our bodies back to equilibrium after we encounter stress. Stress is another big word that may be summed up as the things we encounter in our lives (environment, social interactions, physical activity) that have the ability to affect us. These stressors move our body away from equilibrium, or homeostasis as it's called in physiology textbooks. This happens due to the release of hormones like epinephrine and cortisol (stress markers), that cause the body to react in a way that physiologically moves us away from homeostasis. Recovery modalities aim to augment our natural recovery processes so that homeostasis is reported more quickly.
HOW TO DEAL WITH INJURIES AND THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Injuries can often leave us with excessive caution after we return from them and increase amounts of self-doubt. “Will I be as good as I was?” “Will this happen again?”. These thoughts plague our minds and leave us in an uneasy state that destroys our once strong sense of confidence. The road back from these injuries tests us with patience, persistence, and understanding. It is important that we understand we are not our injuries, and they do not define who we are as athletes. They are merely one aspect of competing and training we must come to work through and confidently leave it behind us.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP HYGIENE
The greatest recovery method for any athlete or individual is sleep. During this time, our cellular processes carry out all the necessary functions in order for our bodies to heal and rejuvenate for the next day. Our smart devices can track signs of these processes, but what can we take from these measurements?
EXERCISE RECOVERY: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Exercise is great! We gain strength and energy from working out. But we also need to recharge after exercising. Exercise recovery lets our bodies heal and rest from the stress on our joints and muscles. Exercise recovery actually makes us stronger in the long run.