I love the Olympics. I love that these games (generally) are about bringing different cultures together. I love the sportsmanship of the athletes and the positive message the Olympic games promote. I won’t be tuning in too much at 2:00 a.m. to catch what’s happening live in China, but I will be hitting the official Olympic web site a lot over the next two weeks.
The timing of the Olympics is interesting also because I just finished writing an article on exercise and massage, which is going to appear in Your Health magazine in September. I got some of my info on why massage is a good idea if you exercise from the Virtual Sports Injury Clinic:
It gets your blood pumping. The stroking movements move fluid through blood vessels and lymph vessels, which is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue because blood can’t flow through a tight muscle, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and the energy to repair. (Exercise helps blood flow too, but massage also stretches the muscles, which helps nutrients pass through more easily.)
It increases tissue permeability. Therapeutic massage opens the pores in tissue membranes, which allows fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourages the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients, which help them recover quicker.
It stretches tissue. Massage stretches tissues that you can’t stretch yourself, such as the sheath or fascia that surrounds the muscle. This releases tension and pressure build up.
It breaks down scar tissue. Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma, and can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain.
You can bet the Olympians are getting a lot of massage right now. And you should too…even if your exercise routine over the next few weeks primarily consists of getting up from the couch to get another drink!
This entry was posted
on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 4:39 pm and is filed under Health Tips, Random Thoughts.
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