what is swedish massage?

Swedish massage is simply a "classic massage" which aids recovery from stresses without requiring a large amount of pressure to leave you in a state of euphoria. Due to the more gentle nature of a Swedish massage the techniques and strokes are typically longer, spanning the whole length of a muscle and are perfect for increasing blood circulation, releasing tension from superficial and deeper tissues and also promoting relaxation.

What are the benefits of swedish massage?

There are many benefits to utilising sports massage as a means of recovery or enhancing performance, these are;

• Sleep deprivation - Relaxing massages are a great way to reduce tension within muscles, this is known to improve sleep quality a huge amount.
• Stress and Anxiety - Stress and Anxiety is becoming very common and people find it more difficult to cope, Swedish massage is an amazing way to reduce symptoms and leave you feeling mentally refreshed.
• Reduce Headaches - Swedish massages are an excellent way to reduce those common headaches, while headaches tend to be caused by poor hydration, tightness in muscles caused by stress, anxiety and over-training can replicate these headaches which are extremely painful.
• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - DOMS is hugely common within athletes and fitness enthusiasts. DOMS are caused due to micro tears within a particular muscle group which has been worked hard and also can be caused by a build up of lactic acid within the muscles which cause pain and reduce range of movement. Massage is a popular treatment method to help realign torn fibres and remove lactic acid from muscles.
• Reduce Pain - Utilising Swedish massage is a highly effective method of reducing pain caused by muscular tightness.

Swedish massage is recommended to those who have an intense training schedule and need a lighter massage to encourage muscular tissues to relax, ensuring your muscles stay healthy and continuously removing waste products such as Lactic Acid via lymph nodes is vital to those of you who enjoy staying fit.

What to do in preparation for your swedish massage?

Before you receive your sports massage from us there are some steps you can take to make it a much more enjoyable experience.

• Stay hydrated - Hydration is very important before having a massage as being dehydration can cause the fascia and muscles to be stiff which can make the massage more uncomfortable than it has to be.
• Only eat a light meal before - If you are booked in for an evening massage, ensure that you only have a light meal, nothing is worse than having a massage on a feel stomach, especially as massage slows down the bodies systems, which also involves the digestive system.

What to do after your swedish massage

Typically after a massage you may experience some tenderness for up to 48 hours, depending on the massage you received. Here are some tips you may wish to follow post massage;

• Enjoy a hot bath - Having a hot bath can help to reduce any extra soreness you could be experiencing, Epsom salts is a favourite of ours.
• Hold off on training - Training immediately after a massage is a big no-no! Allow your body the time it needs to recover effectively, taking a day or two off training post massage can be a huge factor improving your performance.
• Incorporate Massage - Massage is a great treatment method and you should accept it as a necessary part of recovery.