Stretch it Out: Maximize Your Athletic Performance with Regular Static Stretching & Massage Therapy
The passion of our massage therapists here at Strive is to help inspire you to strive for the best possible life you can live. We want you to fall in love with taking care of your body, rather than seeing it as a chore.
In this blog, we'll touch on just a minor portion of your overall health and wellness - the use of stretching to improve and maximize your athletic performance and for most of us, simply to feel better over the long term.
Personally, my favorite type of stretching (as the owner of Strive Holistic) is a type of stretching, called static stretching. This, alongside massage therapy, can massively help to reduce pain, increase performance, increase your mindfulness, reduce the risk of injury, and can also help to improve overall body function and flexibility.
Studies have shown that regular static stretching and massage therapy together can help to reduce muscle tension, improve range of motion, and even reduce post-exercise soreness. If you are looking to experience the full benefits of these activities, we are the best massage therapists in Edmonton who would love to help you understand your body better and how to take care of it with an expert-level assessment and targeted thorough deep tissue treatment.
What is Static Stretching? Why is it Important for Athletic Performance and Optimal Daily Living?
Static stretching is a form of stretching where you hold a stretch in a fixed position for a prolonged period, the proven to be the most beneficial stretch time, for prolonged joint flexibility over the long term, is usually around 30 seconds. This form of stretching is an important component of athletic performance as it helps to increase flexibility and range of motion.
By holding a static stretch, you can lengthen and elongate the part where your muscles and tendons join (called the muskuloskeletal junction), which can help to improve overall athletic performance by increasing your joint's range of motion, and overall muscle length longterm by reducing the amount of adhesive tissue that creates undue friction between layers of muscle.
Whether you're a soccer player, weightlifter, yoga enthusiast, or office worker, static stretching is important for anyone's and everyone's muscle health.
Not only can regular static stretching help to improve flexibility, but it can also help to reduce the risk of injury and decrease muscle soreness. This means living a happier, healthier pain-free life without the nagging pains in the back of your mind day to day. Wouldn't that be amazing?
One way to maximize the benefits of static stretching is to combine it with other forms of therapy, such as therapeutic massage, and myofascial therapy, which are registered massage therapists are experts at. These complementary therapies can help to release tension and tightness in the muscles, allowing for a deeper stretch during static stretching. Speed up your progress, feel the rewards!
In Edmonton, there are many options for massage therapy clinics for those interested in incorporating regular static stretching and massage therapy into their fitness routine, and massage therapists that want to help.
What makes us different, is that we work out of Evolve Strength Downtown, a high level and collaborative wellness centre full of physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists and personal trainers in downtown Edmonton. This means you have a one-stop shop, access to all of the most talented practitioners under one roof, all working in collaboration together to offer you the most potential towards your therapeutic health, and health care. Come have a steam before your massage in our beautiful steam room as well, to loosen up those muscles and relax you before an amazing deep tissue treatment!
Our downtown Edmonton clinic offers a small but mighty team of the absolute best massage therapists near you that specialize in sports and athletic performance. By working with a qualified therapist, you can create a customized plan that combines static stretching with other therapeutic treatments to maximize your athletic performance.
Overall, static stretching is an essential component of any fitness routine, especially for those looking to improve their athletic performance. By incorporating regular static stretching and massage therapy into your routine, you can enhance your flexibility, decrease your risk of injury, and improve overall physical performance.
The Benefits of Regular Static Stretching for Athletic Performance
Regular static stretching is essential for athletic performance as it can provide several benefits that enhance physical capabilities. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating static stretching into your fitness routine:
1. Increases flexibility: Static stretching can help increase flexibility by improving the range of motion of muscles and joints. It also reduces muscle stiffness, which can prevent injuries and soreness during workouts.
2. Improves performance: By improving flexibility, static stretching can help improve performance in sports and other physical activities. This is because the body is able to move more efficiently and effectively with better range of motion.
3. Reduces the risk of injury: Regular static stretching can reduce the risk of injury by improving flexibility, which can prevent muscle strains and pulls. It can also help relieve muscle tension, which can cause discomfort and pain during physical activities.
4. Enhances recovery: Static stretching can help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness after workouts. It increases blood flow to muscles, which can aid in the repair and recovery of muscle tissue.
While static stretching can provide numerous benefits for athletic performance, combining it with other therapies such as massage therapy and fascial therapy can provide even greater results.
Massage therapy can help release muscle tension and improve blood flow to the muscles, allowing for improved mobility and recovery. Not only that, it feels amazing! We also love fascial therapy at Strive. Fascia therapy (also known as myofascial therapy or fascial stretching) targets the fascia (network of connective tissue) that surrounds muscles and organs, which can enhance flexibility and reduce pain and stiffness.
Incorporating regular static stretching, along with other therapies such as massage therapy and fascial therapy, into your fitness routine can lead to greater physical performance and overall health.
How Massage Therapy Can Complement Regular Static Stretching
In addition to regular static stretching, massage therapy can provide significant benefits to your athletic performance. Massage therapy has been shown to improve flexibility and range of motion, enhance blood circulation and lymphatic flow, reduce muscle tension, and decrease inflammation and soreness.
There are several types of massage therapy that can complement your static stretching routine. Myofascial release is a type of massage therapy that focuses on releasing tension in the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs. Deep tissue massage is another effective type of massage therapy that works by targeting the deeper layers of muscles to relieve tension and pain.
If you're looking for a more unique form of massage therapy, myofascial cupping therapy is an excellent choice. This therapy uses special cups that create suction on the skin, which helps to loosen tight muscles and improve circulation.
Here in Edmonton, there are plenty of options for therapeutic massage therapy. Whether you choose myofascial release, deep tissue massage, or myofascial cupping therapy, incorporating regular massage therapy sessions into your fitness routine can help to improve your overall athletic performance.
It's important to note that while massage therapy can be incredibly beneficial for athletes, it should not replace regular health related static stretching or other fitness protocols in your life. We are not here to fix you long term; we facilitate long term healing by interrupting a regular pain pattern or pattern of dysfunction your body may be experiencing, and help your body to realize a new pattern through neurostimulation. Myofascial stretching or fascial stretching techniques should be used as a complementary therapy to help enhance the benefits of your stretching routine.
Incorporating massage therapy into your fitness routine can help you to feel more relaxed, reduce your risk of injury, and improve your athletic performance overall. If you're interested in exploring therapeutic massage options here in our small, but high level clinic setting here at Strive Holistic, consider consulting with one of our passionate registered massage therapists to discuss your options and create a customized plan that fits your needs. Whether you are in need of relaxation, pain relief, or injury rehabilitation, we have the expertise to help you achieve your goals. Our team of experts is committed to providing the highest level of care and ensuring your satisfaction. So we welcome you to Strive and hope you will let us educate you about your body in a positive and inspiring way, and that you'll leave feeling empowered when you understand your body a little better!
