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Rub out cycling aches and pains with a sports massage
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All serious bicycle racing fans know that our racing heroes are treated to regular massages, especially during hard stage races like the Giro d’Italia which is going full-tilt right now. The teams’ soigneurs are charged with not only feeding the racers, packing their bags and washing their clothes, but also with making sure the legs are ready to race hard the next day. Massage is the most reliable route to accomplishing that last goal.
What is it about massage that makes it such a staple for bike racers? In a nutshell, it promotes physiological recovery in ways that nutrition and rest alone cannot. Specifically, massage can help improve circulation while also assisting in removal of metabolic waste. Massage also helps develop muscle tone, break up scar tissue and stimulate nerve endings. All these benefits are necessary to help revive legs that are seriously abused day after day.
If massage is a staple for the pros, maybe it would be a boon for us recreational riders as well. Should you be fortunate enough to have sufficient time and money to partake of daily massages, you would be well-served to do so. But if your reality is similar to most of ours, maybe weekly or bi-monthly treatments will have to do.
What type of massage treatment should you go for? Most strip mall massage businesses don’t really distinguish amongst the various massage types. For the most part, these operations offer a “Sports Massage” which is supposedly tailored to athletic types. You might want to ask your local establishment what constitutes a sports massage and how it differs from a regular massage. Most likely, the massage you will receive will be from a massage therapist trained in the Swedish style.
Swedish massage is composed of five basic strokes, all flowing toward the heart, meant to manipulate the soft tissues of the body. Using oils and a variety of kneading and rolling techniques, this type of massage is certainly relaxing and satisfying. But if you want something that is more specifically targeted at working athletic muscles, you should consider Shiatsu or Amma style massage.
Amma is the Japanese word for massage and although considered to be the embodiment of Japanese therapeutic treatment, it’s actually based on Chinese techniques that are very similar to acupuncture. The amma techniques are aimed at the acupressure points along the body’s fourteen major meridians utilizing pressing, stroking and stretching with much of the work done by thumbs and fingers rather than the palms and heels of the hands. Make no mistake, amma hurts, but it hurts so good you’ll want to come back for more. Don’t be surprised if you’re sore for a few days after a rousing amma session.
Shiatsu was developed from Amma, but concentrates even more on acupressure and acupuncture points. For specific pains or injuries, Shiatsu might be worth a try.
I have found a great Amma practioner, Julie, at Rehabilitative Massage in Westminster. Although all massage feels good (it might be the world’s second oldest profession), for my money, Amma is the way to go.
If you’re a massage newbie, here are some tips and answers to the 10 most embarrassing questions you might have about massage. And as they say on those ubiquitous TV commercials, if you experience number six for more than four hours, consult a physician.
Given that most of us can’t afford daily massage treatments, you might want to experiment with self-massage. For bicyclists, the key muscles that need treatment are in the legs, and a reasonably limber person (which leaves me out) can actually perform a rudimentary self-massage on his or her own legs. Try lying with your legs propped against a wall. Rub and knead the leg muscles, starting with the calf and moving to the knee, thigh and hamstring.
Pay as you go or do it yourself, massage will make you a better bicyclist.
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