Daily mobility flow for stiff joints
Having a daily mobility routine is now an important part of life, at least in my book. The body craves movement, absolutely loves it, but our modern sedentary lives leave it woefully under-nourished in this key area. So we’re stiff, and our necks hurt, and our backs are always causing problems, and we generally feel […]
Is stretching a waste of time?
Stretching’s status in the fitness industry is impressive. We stretch with an almost religious fervor. We stretch to warm up, to cool down, and in every small rest in between sets. I see runners stretching their quads before their weekly 5k. I see therapists prescribing stretching every day. Every gym instructor and personal trainer is taught […]
Sports massage for climbers
Sports massage is incredibly popular among athletes in every sport. Climbing is no different and the unique stresses climbing places on the body mean sports massage should be a regular part of most climbers’ training plan. Climbing puts a massive strain on the muscles and tendons of the fingers, wrists and elbows. The demand placed […]
Muscle knots – what are they?
We’ve all felt them right? Hard lumps or nodules in our muscles which radiate pain and discomfort. They often appear with little to no warning and can suddenly become sources of awful pain and discomfort. “Muscle knots” are a tricky one to pin down, for a couple of reasons. But before I get into that […]
Massage for sports performance & DOMS
Massage has always had plenty of anecdotal support for helping DOMS and improving muscle performance. Athletes everywhere rely on sports massage to see them through periods of intense training for events and competitions. I have had plenty of marathon runners jump on the table directly after an event, telling me that massage is the one […]
The dangers of overtraining
This month has reminded me of the dangers of overtraining. I see a lot of people at this time of year compelled to work overtime to make up for the excesses of the festive season. Often, this compulsion does not work in their interest, and by overtraining they end up doing more damage than good. […]
What is remedial massage?
Remedial massage is one of many forms of massage therapy designed to optimise the body’s function and promote healthy and pain-free movement. It is a form of massage commonly used in sports injury, rehabilitation and pain clinics across the UK because of its effectiveness in treating common muscle and joint complaints. Remedial massage involves manipulation […]
Why you should be taking cold showers
Taking even just a 30 second cold shower everyday has been shown to reduce sick days by up to 29% – 54% if combined with regular exercise. The study I’m quoting these figures from only had people take cold showers for 30 days, so doesn’t give any indication of the long-term benefits of cold showers, […]
Sports massage for performance athletes
Athletes provide inspiration and entertainment to audiences all over the world. Millions tuned in to watch Usain Bolt dominate the 100-metres and win gold, and that moment will go down in history as an astonishing achievement of human performance. But, what we usually see of athletes is the end result of a gruelling, intense and […]