Should I Get A Pre-Event Or Post-Event Massage?

 

Sports massage is designed to help repair and prepare anyone who is competing in a sporting event. The difference between a pre-event and a post-event massage lies in their objectives, the times in which they should occur, and their styles. 

A pre-event massage occurs before your sporting event and focuses on warming up and loosening the muscles. It’s a lighter pressure and faster pace than a post-event massage. A pre-event massage can occur at two common times, the day before the event and the day of the event, although it can be done for up to two weeks leading up to the event. The major difference between the two is the amount of pressure applied in the treatment. 

 

A pre-event massage that happens the day before the event can be relatively deep in pressure, with the goal of loosening up any well-known tight areas a person may have. For example, if you know that your calf tends to tighten up before a marathon, it's a good idea to have it massaged and stretched out the day before without too much extensive force to release the tightness. A pre-event massage that occurs on the day of the event is designed to assist the muscles in the warming-up process. It should be light and fast in its actions and added to your warm-up routine, not done in replacement of it. 

 

It's recommended to get a pre-event massage the day before the event to release commonly tight and prone to niggles areas. 

A post-event massage is the more commonly known and done massage of the two. It’s done after the event to help the muscle tissue relax and lengthen, so it doesn't tighten up and cause restriction and injury. This massage is best done straight after the race or as soon as possible post the race to help release tight areas and remove any tissue build-up that may have been created. 

 

A post-event massage can also be considered a maintenance treatment and is commonly used intermittently between the person's events and/or training. This is where most work can be done to the muscle safely and where it’s possible to go the deepest to get the most out of the treatment. The best time for this type of treatment is between training days and/or racing/event weekends. 

 

Regular maintenance treatment is highly recommended if you have a big race coming up. It’s the best way to stay injury-free and get the best results on race day. If you want to book a pre-event or post-event massage, get yourself booked in online to get yourself race-ready.