What’s the Difference Between the Two?
We all know what massages are. They are a great way to relax, relieve tensions, and improve overall well-being. However, it is important to know that not all massages are the same. Sports Massages and Traditional Massages are two different types of massages that serve distinct purposes. Each offers its own benefits. In this blog post, we will share with you what each one’s purpose is and its key characteristics to help you better distinguish between the two.
Traditional Massage
A traditional massage is what we all know. It’s a regular massage to help soothe and relax your body. To destress and unwind after a long stressful day. Traditional massages tend to utilize softer more general pressure.
Key Characteristics:
- Full-Body Massage: A traditional massage tends to be less targeted. It is more general. The massage is on the entire body from head to toe.
- Relaxing and Stress Reducing: A traditional massage is more to help you unwind after a stressful day or week. It helps your body calm down.
- Improves Your Mental Health: The gentleness of a full body massage will help your body release endorphins, enhance your overall mood, and reduce anxiety.
Sports Massage
A sports massage is a much more specialized form of massage compared to a traditional massage. It’s much more targeted to certain parts of the body. A sports massage is more for those involved in regular physically exhausting activities including athletes and those active in fitness. This type of massage can help in the recovery of injury and strain while also helping you enhance your performance.
Key Characteristics:
- Targeted: The great thing about a sports massage is that it’s much more targeted to specific muscles and joints most affected by physically exhausting activities.
- Fast Recovery: A sports massage can help you recover faster from an injury. This is due to the fact that the massage aims to release built-up muscle tension and spur the disposal of waste products like lactic acid. This will help you recover quickly and reduce muscle soreness.
Conclusion
Now that we explained the differences between the two different types of massages you can choose one that better serves your needs. So, if your goal is to relax and unwind, the traditional massage is the choice for you. On the other hand, if your goal is to target a specific muscle area that is strained because of physical activity, a sports massage is likely your best choice. Both have great benefits.
At Body Assist Massage, we offer sports massages that will help patients with the following: neck pain, sports injuries, running injuries, football injuries, hamstring injuries, and shoulder pain. If you have any of the following please do not hesitate to contact us. You can call us at (619)792-5154 to learn more and or to schedule an appointment.