There aren’t many sports which are quite as physically taxing on your body as mixed martial arts.

As its name implies, MMA isn’t a single discipline pursuit and requires a sometimes overwhelming amount of preparation in the gym when it comes to perfecting your technique or working on your cardiovascular health as part of a robust strength and conditioning program such as McGregor F.A.S.T.

Residual pain after workouts is part and parcel of what it takes to achieve your best results, the penalty athletes pay in the pursuit of betterment, but there are measures which can be taken to ease this burden — and primarily, that comes in the form of a sports massage.

 

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But how exactly is this beneficial for you?

For one, massage therapy can help reduce injuries and huge steps have been made in recent years to understand a masseur’s role in injury prevention. Unchecked injuries can have a big toll on the body and can one day become chronic, repeated ailments if correct measures aren’t taken to counter them.

A 2016 study conducted by Oxford University confirmed that massages play a large role in pain management for athletes (as well as treating anxiety and health-related quality of life issues in non-athletes, while another from McMaster University showed that massage after workouts can lead to inducing your muscles to grow and incite the production of mitochondria (the energy-providing elements of your cells) which will aid the rate at which your muscles require oxygen.

Also, massage can increase your range of motion and decrease recovery time following workout sessions or fights. In addition to the above, massages have been proven to help when it comes to relaxation, attentiveness and mood. Think of it as sending your car to the shop for a service — it just feels better afterwards.

The Benefits of Massage

• Lowers your heart rate
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces injury recovery time
• Lowers anxiety
• Improves mood
• Increases blood flow
• Relieves muscle pain
• Improves tissue healing
• Promotes muscle elasticity
• Stabilises stress hormones (cortisol)