There is a great article in USA Triathlon magazine last month called Rising to the Top. Siri Lindley who is a top triathlon coach states ” recovery has become a much more sought-after part of the sport. There’s a much greater usage of massage therapy and things like active release therapy( ART) and acupuncture. These allow for athletes to continually progress without facing as much injury or overtraining”.
I have to agree with Siri Lindley. Why not have massage therapy, ART or acupuncture be part of your training program. I see a lot of athletes who have chronic injuries and continue to train on them or wait till it’s too late to get the necessary help needed to heal the injury. If your getting massage or any of these other modalities on a regular basis then your going to avoid these types of injuries, have better training sessions and better race result.
Not only is recovery good for athletes but day to day stresses like sitting all day at a desk, driving a car and even my job as a massage therapist can benefit from some recovery like massage, ART, foam rolling and even a hot epson salt bath.