We hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year!
But there are definitely some things we'd all like to leave behind in 2022.
For me that would be some commonly heard myths when it comes to trying to improve the body with the help of sports massage treatments.
I'd like to share some to hopefully help you better understand what to expect and to put your mind at ease if you are completely unsure.
1) It certainly doesn't have to hurt. In fact, too much discomfort may cause you to lock up making the problem get worse. Yes, some discomfort may be expected but within a tolerable range. If you feel like you are being beat up with no rhyme or reason...run
2) Mobility and stretching are not the same. Both are great and have their place. However, if you are looking to improve your overall movement I'd opt for more mobility training.
3) I'm good, but sometimes some things can't be fixed in one session. To help speed up the process, looking at the body holistically is key. General health, overall outlook, diet, sleep quality and hydration shouldn't be neglected and can definitely aid the healing process.
4) Lean into pain now and again. This might sound counter intuitive, but recent research points to recovery being aided by leaning into the pain. Don't get me wrong and start being reckless with your painful movement. But a little encouragement through the pain might be just what it needs to speed up the recovery.
5) Don't wait to get injured to get a treatment. Be proactive, listen to your body and give it what it needs before you pick something up that sets your goals back a few months because now you have to manage an injury. Preventive is always better than reactive.
Hope this helps and if you've heard your own myths or want to run something by us, drop a comment with what you've heard and let's clear things up going into 2023