Lately, the papers have been full of stories about doping in competitive sports; whether it’s athletics or the Tour de France, all anyone seems to be talking about is sports people using drugs to gain an unfair advantage. It’s a tactic that’s not only illegal but in many cases also extremely risky for the health of those involved.

Luckily, there are plenty of better ways to make sure you perform well on the field for your five-a-side team, running in your local ParkRun or even taking part in adventure sports like climbing and kayaking.

Train regularly

There’s no substitute for good training, so that’s always a good place to start; make sure that you’re staying safe in whatever sport you’re taking part in and you’ll have less downtime due to injury. The advice of a coach or someone more experienced might help you to maintain good form and avoid causing damage to your muscles.

Try sports massage

It’s inevitable that sometimes you’ll find yourself with an injury, and when that occurs sports massage can be a great way to promote healing. By stimulating blood flow to the area, massage can help damaged muscles to heal more quickly and relieving tension in your back and neck might help you avoid injuring yourself again.

Sports massage can also be helpful for pain relief, as the relaxation which it promotes can release endorphins, essential chemicals which both make you happy and can help with any pain that a sports injury may cause.
Even if you aren’t currently injured, you may be able to use sports massage holistically to improve your performance. Having a massage can improve your body awareness, which athletes have reported leads to fewer injuries, more effective training and quicker recovery times.

It’s a great way to get an edge on your team-mates or competitors without resorting to the unpleasant world of chemical enhancements and offers a raft of health benefits. Contact us today to arrange your sports massage and make sure you’re always on top form.