Those Forgotten Muscles...........

It’s easy to focus on the “popular” muscle groups and work away at stretching and strengthening them, whilst ignoring “lesser” muscle groups which both perform important functions themselves and have to be regarded in terms of their balancing off another muscle group.

And so, I would contend, it is for the Adductor muscle group.

Often overlooked, rarely worked on specifically, and not really considered in terms of their effect on other muscle groups and how that might cause injury and discomfort.

First of all, let’s start with a quick anatomy lesson. Here’s a diagram showing the 5 adductor muscles;

As can be seen, they all start somewhere along the lower edge of the pelvis and attach alongside the inside of the thighbone (femur), the exception being the gracilis muscle which attaches below the knee.

So what are the primary functions of these muscles? Most people will probably know that they are the muscles which pull the leg back into the “middle”. So, if you stand with your legs apart, and then bring one leg back in to meet the other, the adductor muscles will be at work. Additionally, some of those muscles are involved in pulling your leg backwards.

However, as I mentioned above, we also need to consider the  “opposite” muscles – in this case, we’re particularly looking at the Glutes – gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus – all of which play a vital part in stabilising both the hip and the knee.

Unfortunately, because we don’t tend to do a lot of work on our adductors and tend to not stretch them out, they are prone to becoming overtight and shortening.

The effect of this is that, because these muscles are effectively turned “on” all of the time, they will be inhibiting the function of the outer leg muscles noted above and this will have an adverse effect on, potentially, both hip and knee stability.

The uncomfortable truth is that, given a choice between hip or knee, the problem will tend to affect the knee because it is the weaker joint and, therefore, having tight, short adductors could easily cause the knee to track incorrectly, which can lead to a whole host of other problems.

So what can we learn from this and how can we correct it?

Well, perhaps the first thing to acknowledge is that we DON’T do much work on our adductors but that we need to! We all stretch quads, calves and hamstrings. We need to add adductors to that list.

It’s certainly a topical subject for me this week. Doing most of my running on hills these days, I tend to take small strides and therefore don’t stretch out the adductors much. On Saturday, I ran over 18 miles on roads and hard tracks, and at (for me) a decent pace, and I have suffered considerably from over-stretched adductors since then. A warning sign that I need to work on them myself, methinks!

So, what can we do to help the adductors;

1)      Stretches

There are various stretches that can be done, but here are a couple for starts;

a)      In a standing position, with legs just over shoulder-width apart, lean to one side, so that a stretch is felt along the inside of the opposite leg. The diagram below demonstrates;

b)      Seated on the floor, bring the soles of your feet together and then, gripping your feet, press down on thighs or knees with your elbows. Try to maintain a good spinal alignment.

2)      Strengthening

It may also be worth doing some exercises to strengthen the adductors. There are a couple of easy ones worth doing;

a)      Lying on the floor, with knees raised and soles of the feet on the floor, place a soft ball or towel between the knees and then squeeze the legs together

b)      Basically, the same as above, but with the legs flat on the floor.

c)       Additionally, the use of resistance bands can be good for adductor strengthening – look them up!

3)      Sports Massage

It can be very easy for the adductors to be overlooked when doing sports massage, in favour again of work on the “major” muscle groups. But they shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, the fact is that work on the adductors can feel fairly uncomfortable, but as we have seen, the affects of them being overtight are significant and therefore it’s worth putting up with some discomfort!

Hopefully that has given a decent insight into the effects of the adductors and the reasons why they can cause problems and should not be ignored. It’s certainly always something to look at if you feel your running posture isn’t good. And it’s perhaps a wee reminder to us all that we shouldn’t overlook those “lesser” muscle groups because of the effect they have in other areas. I think a few more blogs on similar muscle groups are needed in the future........

Be SMARTER with your exercise!!

I went on the excellent Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) course run by the FRA last week. I have to admit to having gone on the course thinking it might teach me things I already knew and that it was more of a stepping stone to further qualifications. But it was, in fact, an excellent course from which I took plenty of thoughts and plenty of new ideas.

One of which was the idea that we should be SMARTER in what we do. Quite a few people will have come across the idea of “SMART” objectives in their work but I wonder how many take such a simple, workable principle and apply it to their running, cycling etc?

Although this might seem likely a slightly “odd” topic for a blog about sports injuries etc, the fact is that the more motivated we are, the more we have a set goal in mind and a plan to train towards it, the less likely we are to get injured.

So, a recap on SMART and, in particular, how it might apply to our activities;

S – Specific

For a goal to be worthwhile, it needs to be specific and not general. For example, having a goal to be able to “run faster” is not specific enough. Having a goal to run a certain time for a certain distance or, for example, to achieve a PB at a certain distance is specific. If that all sounds a bit daunting, consider having a “standard” run that you do on a regular basis and let your goal be, for example, to run that same route 10% faster than you do now within 3 months.

The “specific” tag would also be satisfied by having target races at which you want to either achieve a certain time or a certain placing. For example, my two goals this year are to a) finish Wasdale and avoid the cut-offs and b) to do a better time at Ben Nevis than I have done previously.

M – Measurable

This ties in to the above, in that any goal you set yourself must be clearly measurable, so that you can see whether you have achieved it or not. For instance, the goal “to be fitter” is a difficult one to measure and one that might not easily be discernable by you. Quite often, when we’re training, we don’t realise the progress we’ve made until we achieve a measurable result (such as a faster 10k time etc) because the changes are gradual.

So set yourself a target that you can clearly say either “yes, I achieved that” or “no, I didn’t”. Again, setting a definite time for a distance, or setting a percentage improvement over a distance would be clearly measurable.

A – Agreed

Now this might sound like an obvious one when we’re setting a target to ourselves, but is it agreed? How many times do we enter events and then, when the event comes around, we’re not even on the start line? It sounded like a good idea at the time, but the truth is we were never really committed to it.

When we are committed to something, we’re more likely to stick at it, we’re more likely to set a sensible plan working towards it and we’re more likely to see the “bigger picture” rather than worrying about short-term problems in our training.

So, I’d suggest, next time you’re getting carried away entering events, stop for a moment and consider your commitment towards them and, therefore, whether you internally agree with your objective.

R – Realistic

Now this is a toughie isn’t it? Again, how many times do we get carried away with bravado in a conversation with others and agree that, yes, I’ll give that 50-miler a go next month!! Daylight dawns and you realise you’ve gone and committed to doing something that is outwith your capabilities within such a timescale (and I’d stress the timescale, because we all have the potential to do much greater things than we currently achieve).

So, having set a goal, it’s really important to stand back and check that it is achievable. Do you have the time to train? Is there enough time to train between now and the event? What skills and resources will be needed to achieve your goal and are they available?

That doesn’t mean you don’t push yourself with the goals you set. Indeed, you must! For example, my goal to get around Wasdale is, I know, achievable because I have done far longer runs on those same hills but, at the same time, I realise that from my current base fitness, with a slight knee niggle and only 7 weeks until the race, it’s a goal that will stretch me and require me to be fully focused in my training. However, for me to set a goal saying I wanted to be in the top 20 or to finish in 5 hours would be totally unrealistic.

Similarly, whatever your goal, check that it is one you have to work for, but not one that is so demanding that you will surely suffer disappointment.

T – Time-recorded

Any goal needs to define a timescale within which that goal should be achieved. So, if you have a target race, that’s easy because it will be the race date. If you don’t, then you will need to set a time limit for yourself. For example, if your goal is to break 50 minutes for a 10k, you need to set a timescale within which that should be achieved. It may be a season, it may be a calendar year, but you need to be able to look back at that point and reflect on whether you achieved your goal and what affected the outcome.

So that sums up what we traditionally called “SMART” objectives. The LiRF taught me that UK Athletics are now promoting an “ER” on the end to add two more criteria, as follows;

E – Exciting

How ridiculous, you might think. If I’ve set my own objective, of course it will be exciting. But again, how many times do we set ourselves a goal and not fully commit to it because, deep down, we’re not really that bothered about it.

From my own point of view, this clearly happened to me towards the end of my road running era as I took to the fells. I entered several road races with PBs as my goal. But the truth was, I wanted to be out on the fells, not running on the roads and so my motivation wasn’t there. I wasn’t at all excited by plodding out miles on tarmac.

So, stop and think for a moment whether your objective is truly exciting you. Is there another objective which would truly excite you? Perhaps one you’re a little frightened to admit to yourself? It took me a good while to finally declare that what excited me was having a go at the Bob Graham Round, and therefore committing to it as a goal. Be daring!

R – Recordable

A bit obvious, perhaps, but an objective needs to be recordable. This goes back to the first couple of criteria, of specific and measurable.

I came back from the LiRF, got out a piece of paper and put down my objectives. I was honest with myself, tried to make sure I stretched myself rather than staying within my comfort zone but, at the same time, admitted what would excite me.

Give it a go yourself and you may be very surprised at the motivation it gives you in your training. And perhaps I’ll see you out running on the hills, zooming past me on your bike, heading off to the gym to do some specific strengthening exercises or, indeed, on the massage table, committed to shaking off those niggles that have been holding you back and determined to hit peak physical fitness and be generally SMARTER!

Recovery From Injuries – The Price Is Right!

Most of us are familiar with the idea that we have to “RICE” an injury, but I wonder how many are aware of why we do it and what we should actually be doing?

Firstly, why do we do it?  Research to date has shown that, when we incur an injury, some inflammatory response is absolutely necessary in order to facilitate the healing process, but too much will cause the injury to take longer to recover and potentially interfere with range of movement. Therefore we want a controlled inflammatory response, which we seek to do by applying RICE.

The first thing to say is that the moments after you incur an injury are the most important of all. What you do in this period will have a huge bearing on how you recover. That’s why I’m going to add an additional letter to the acronym and make it PRICE!

Thereafter ,the first 48 hours after are an injury are also vitally important. Getting the treatment right at this stage can make the difference between a successful, short recovery and months (or even years) of pain, discomfort and impairment of function.

So, what does it all mean?

P – PROTECT

Immediately when an injury occurs, it is important to protect the injured area from suffering further harm. 

That means taking all steps to stop the activity which has caused the injury in the first place. We’re all tempted to “run it off”, but generally we know the difference between a bit of discomfort and an injury and no good will come of continuing to put stress on the latter (quite the opposite). Stop doing whatever caused the injury and get yourself back to a “safe” place as easily as possible.

And, if you can, get ice on the injury as soon as possible. We’ve probably all seem images of footballers being subbed with an injury and the physio getting them to sit in the dugout with an ice pack attached. Do the same yourself.

Control the initial swelling now and you’ll make a huge difference to your recovery. In fact, if you can, adhere to all the principles of RICE as set out below.

It’s worth carrying a “freeze pack” in your car or, in some cases, in your kit bag or first-aid kit. These are one-use packs which are great for putting straight onto an injury. They’ve got some in Run4It and I’d really recommend popping in and getting one....you never know when you might need it!

And avoid alcohol! Tempting though it is to head to the bar and console yourself with a pint or two, alcohol can interfere with the inflammatory process, which is the last thing you want to do when everything else if geared towards controlling it.

R – REST

Rest is essential in order to allow the initial healing process to take place properly over the first 48 hours. Don’t be tempted to go out there and “test it”. Keep the injury rested and free from any stress, with very little mobilisation.

I – ICE

As mentioned at the start of the article, the main purpose of RICE is to allow for a controlled inflammatory response. Ice does this, principally by taking the temperature of the affected area down which reduces metabolism. The reduced blood supply means that the inflammatory response will be reduced.

In addition, ice can also have the effect of reducing pain by reducing tissue temperature and can reduce muscle spasm and neural inhibition.

So how do you ice? That’s the question I get asked more than any other. In fact, there is no set agreed method. There is some research suggesting that the vast majority of reduction in tissue temperature takes place in the first 10 minutes, and very little thereafter. So I’d recommend 10 minutes of icing, followed by 10 minutes of “rest”, repeated several times. Do this at regular intervals throughout the 2 days following the injury (as much as normal routine allows!).

And what do you use? Personally, I’d recommend gel packs, which are placed in the freezer to get them cold and which are malleable so can fit to an injury. Again, Run4It have some packs in stock ( which can also be heated in the microwave and used as heat packs) and it’s well worth getting hold of one.

Alternatively, most of us will have used a pack of peas or similar at some point. Perfectly good, but I have found myself having to throw the peas away after several thaw and refrost cycles!

Note: ice applied directly to the skin can and will burn and you should therefore use a protective barrier. I find a thin tea-towel to be ideal.

Finally on icing, there are a number of “freeze gels” available on the market. Whilst I wouldn’t use these if it’s possible to ice as above, some people may find that, due to restrictions at their place of work or the nature and location of the injury, it’s not possible to use an ice pack during the day. In these circumstances, freeze gels have been shown to be effective in reducing tissue temperature. I’ve used Biofreeze in the past and I’ve noticed that it is now available to purchase on Amazon.

C – COMPRESSION

Compression has the effect of constricting blood flow to the area, again helping to control the inflammatory response. In order to do this, bandage the affected area firmly but not so tight that it is uncomfortable. Tubular bandages are now available for a number of areas of the body, which will do this job effectively. Also, many athletes now wear compression gear and this is also effective.

(As an aside, whilst I am still very much undecided as to whether the wearing of compression gear during exercise is of any benefit, on the basis of RICE, the wearing of compression gear after exercise is definitely based on sound principles and something I would recommend).

E – ELEVATION

Keep the area elevated above the heart to restrict blood flow and reduce the pressure of fluids on the affected area. Of course, this might be easier to do with an arm injury than with a sprained ankle. However, take all steps you can to adhere to this principle. Can you put your foot up on a stool or another chair at work? Can you work with the laptop on your chest at home?

After the initial 48-72 hours, the healing process has commenced and it’s time to adapt the recovery strategy to MICE! The rest is replaced by some movement of the affected area, since it is important that the collagen fibres (scar tissue) which are laid down to repair the area are moulded to assist the proper movements of the muscles rather than restrict them. Keep movements within a comfortable range and don’t force any stretches on the affected area, this might cause re-injury.

At this stage, sports massage will also be of great assistance by helping to mould the scar tissue along the same lines as the muscles.

As long as swelling has gone from the area, then it’s time to move on to MICES, the S signifying “stretching”. Again, this helps mould the scar tissue to perform with the muscle rather than inhibiting it and ensures that the full range of movement is regained. The key is to stretch but not over-stretch and re-damage the tissues. It’s a graduated process and, indeed, some advisors will talk of a “recovery ladder” process, whereby you push a bit further each time, stepping back down the ladder if there is onset of pain. I’m a great advocate of this approach, taking the recovery back to basics and, for example, going out for just a 1 mile run initially, then increasing slowly on each subsequent run, but stopping if pain returns and dropping back down the distances. It’s had great results with some people I’ve seen recently, I just need to take my own advice now!

Hopefully, that’s given folk an idea of why we use RICE after injury and how to do it, and also some idea on the timescales involved and how and why we want to move on to movement and then stretching as soon as practical. If anyone has any comments or queries, feel free to get in touch. 

You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks......

That’s what our 14 year-old collie-cross Rufus would say. Actually, he wouldn’t. He’d tell you (in a slow, Yorkshire accent) that there’s no requirement for an old dog to learn new tricks because he’s acquired plenty during his life and nowt good would come of learning new ones, they’d just spoil a tried and trusted routine.

And it’s interesting to ponder on whether that’s a lesson for us humans as well at times. A lot of new ideas keep being thrown at us, in terms of training, recovery, injury prevention etc. Some are backed up by solid medical evidence, others aren’t (even though they may claim to be to some extent).

From my own personal viewpoint, I’m always open to new ideas, but I want to be able to understand the principle behind it and see some kind of evidence that it has been tried and tested. And, if an idea looks worth further investigation, I will want to ensure that I make changes gradually and allow the body time to adapt.

The “barefoot running” craze is one example of this. I think that there’s a perfectly good principle behind the idea (allowing the foot to do what it’s supposed to!) but that it needs to be introduced gradually to a body that has been used to running in cushioned shoes for a long time and will have adapted to this.

And what has set me thinking about all this? A fascinating article I read very recently that suggested that the term “overpronation” is an entirely redundant one, since there is no perfect model of how a person should pronate. Indeed, the “perfect” model was defined in a lab and, in various tests that have taken place, very few examples of this have been seen in real life.  Crucially, the research also stated there is absolutely no medical evidence that “overpronation” (as currently defined) is linked to a higher incidence of injuries.

Yes, it is shocking isn’t it!?! I’ll repeat that last statement – “there is absolutely no medical evidence that “overpronation” is linked to a higher incidence of injuries”.

And yet, for many years, shoe manufacturers have been telling us that we need to be forced into shoes that have been reinforced to “correct” this very problem.

When I started running (a fair few years ago!), I too went for the shoe assessment, was told I overpronated and sold a pair of shoes that would correct this. Within a few weeks, I had bad knee pain and hip pain and was forced into a trip to my osteopath to see whether he could help. We talked through what I’d been doing and, after telling him that I’d got new shoes to stop over-pronation, he set to work and sorted out the problem and I still regard his wise words highly now in my own practice: “For 30+ years, you’ve been walking and running with your feet pronating naturally. Your body has built up its muscular system to deal with this. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve forced your feet to be positioned differently by these new shoes. What do you think is going to happen? The stress that this causes has to be felt somewhere. In your case, it’s in the knees and hips”.

Since then, I’ve always worn fairly neutral shoes (especially in more recent times as a fellrunner, where Inov8s and Walshes only come in “neutral”!) and I can’t honestly say that I feel any of my injuries along the way have come from that. Injuries I’ve had seem to me to be far more to do with weaknesses in muscles, and this is what the article suggested as a conclusion – that it is almost lazy to plump for “overpronation” as the cause of an injury, when we should be looking at the body as a whole to assess the problem.

It’s a fascinating article, very thought provoking and, if it filters through to the general domain, it will be reminiscent of the situation that arose when evidence came forward that, far from being an aid, over-cushioned soles in running shoes may actually cause injury.

So where does it all leave us? I would suggest it leaves us referring back to the first paragraph. If “over-pronation” shoes are what you’ve been wearing and they work for you, don’t change – keep to the tried and trusted routine. Otherwise, regard both sides of the argument with a healthy scepticism and look into the matter before deciding what shoes to purchase in the future.

Injuries.....it’s all in the mind!

Well, maybe not “all”, but bear with me while I explain.

The power of the human mind fascinates me, and I believe most of us are only using a fraction of its extraordinary capacity at the moment.

Consider a couple of extreme examples;

We’ve all probably known or heard of elderly couples where one of them passes away, only for the other to pass away within an extremely short space of time. It happens too often to be just mere coincidence. We talk about them “dying of a broken heart” and yet it seems to me that they are able to turn their understandable thoughts of grief and not wishing to carry on into a physical manifestation.

Conversely, I’m sure we’ve all experienced stories of people who have been diagnosed with serious illness, but who have taken an incredibly positive approach to recovery and have confounded medical science to either recover completely or, at least, prolong their life much longer than expected.

Both are surely examples of how the mind can affect physical health.

Now equate that to the situations we find ourselves in as athletes, and it doesn’t take a huge leap to see that the mind can have a vital effect on injuries we sustain and how we recover from those injuries.

As an example of the former, it’s amazing how many people get niggles that affect training in the build-up to a major event about which they’re nervous. Conversely, how many times have you finished a run or a long bike ride, during which you’ve felt fine, only to be in pieces for days afterwards and left with a legacy injury – but the mind was focused on the job in hand so ignored the injury at the time.

On a personal level, I suffered with what seemed to be a serious knee problem prior to my Bob Graham attempt in 2010, to the extent that I was planning to call it off and leave it for the year. At some point, I made a conscious decision to commit 100% for the attempt, with no thoughts of failure, and from that moment forward I had no knee problems at all (partly aided and abetted by a strict regime of knee strengthening exercises I committed to).

So what implications does this have for us as athletes? And, in particular, what implications when it comes to injuries.

Well firstly, on one level, when you get these niggles, it’s always worth searching inside yourself for why they have arisen now. It may be because you’ve changed training regime significantly? Or it may be because you have a major event coming up which you’re nervous about? Are there other stresses and strains in your life which are affecting your positivity and, maybe, causing physical manifestations of that stress? Have you simply lost some motivation for training at the moment? Search yourself for the answers and be honest with yourself?

Secondly, having looked for reasons why you might have got the injury in the first place, are you ready to commit, both mentally and physically, to recovering from it?

One of the main problems we all face when injured, is accepting the fact and acting accordingly. We refuse to believe it and place our faith in “running it off”. Even when we’re advised not to run, we think it’s worth a “test run” to see how it holds up. Or, having been advised to build up running again from a mile base with only slight increases each run, we head out for 20 miles over the hills.

What I see in my practice, and what I’m coming to appreciate more for myself as well, is that only when we mentally accept the injury and commit to sorting out the problem, will we be able to begin the recovery.

Once committed, we adopt a different mindset, have a different motivation in everything we do, and every action we take will be geared towards proper recovery from the injury.

This may mean we stop running for a while. It may mean cross-training to maintain fitness. It will almost certainly mean stretching and strengthening regimes on a regular basis to address the weakness which has caused the injury in the first place.  I’d humbly suggest that it will almost certainly include a commitment to regular sports massage, which will greatly facilitate the recovery (both in terms of the “hands-on” work and the advice on stretching, strengthening, training etc that a good sports massage practitioner should provide).Once we have a commitment and a positivity towards recovery, we’ll start to see improvement.

So, next time you have an injury, I invite you to stop for a moment and think, before deciding how to move forward. Think why you might have the injury and decide whether you’re committed to recovering from it. And you may be surprised at the results........

What is sports massage? What can it do for me?

Sports massage is talked about everywhere now, and it’s generally taken for granted that everyone knows what that means. But do you? It seemed like the right place to start this blog by looking at what we mean by sports massage and also answering the question “what can it do for me?” and how it can achieve those benefits.

What is sports massage?

Sports massage can best be described as the manipulation and assessment of soft tissues. By soft tissues, we mean skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia (a term I will return to in future blogs because it’s gaining increasing importance in our understanding of how the body works).

Most people would probably consider sports massage to be a deeper massage, working into the tissues and, in general, that would be correct. A properly qualified sports massage practitioner will have a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology and will be working into specific muscles to identify potential knots, restrictions and imbalances, all of which may affect performance adversely.

A typical sports massage session will go further that this though and, as well as “hands on massage”, will also look at postural assessment, may involve some assisted stretching and will also provide post-massage advice in respect of stretching, strengthening and injury recovery. All of these will help to provide an overall picture and allow the practitioner to assist the client in achieving optimum performance and avoiding injury.

So how does it work?

There are a number of different ways in which sports massage works on a person’s body. They can be best split into the different systems they affect;

Muscular system:

When we use our muscles, they suffer micro trauma. This can lead to scar tissue and adhesions within the muscle fibres. If these go undetected, an injury will result at some stage because there is a weakness in the muscle. At the very least, the performance of that particular muscle will be impaired meaning you will have less than “full power”.

Massage can alleviate this by releasing restrictions, realigning muscle fibres and stopping the build-up of scar tissue.

Cardiovascular system:

The cardiovascular system moves blood around the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients. Sports massage helps to increase blood flow and will therefore assist in delivering these nutrients, which in turn promote healthy recovery and first-class performance from our muscles.

Sports massage can also help to stimulate lymph flow and this will help to flush out toxins and waste products from our system.

Nervous system:

The nervous system allows signals from the brain to reach muscles and tell them how to move and also allows “feedback” from muscles, tendons, ligaments etc to the brain to enable balance and movement. If those signals are interrupted, this won’t work so well.

A typical example of this is when you have what is known as a “trigger point” within a muscle. The muscle can become tight and constricted and the muscle will not function properly. In fact, recent research has suggested that even trigger points which are not causing pain (and about which you may therefore be unaware) can cause a significant decrease in muscle performance.

Thus sports massage can help by identifying and eradicating these trigger points. In addition, the manipulation of the soft tissues within sports massage can have a stimulating effect on the sensory receptors in the nervous system.

Skeletal system:

Although sports massage is focussed on soft tissues, joints will function better and be put under less stress if the soft tissues are less restricted and function well and thus sports massage can be beneficial towards the skeletal system.

So what benefits will I feel?

There are a number of ways in which you may directly feel the benefits, including the following;

-          Injury prevention:   regular massage will identify small problems before they become big ones so you should notice a reduction in the amount of injuries you suffer

-          Faster recovery times:   as we have seen, massage has many good effects on the body and these, cumulatively, should lead to quicker recovery from hard training sessions and races, allowing you to train and race harder in the future

-          Faster injury recovery:   the treatment of injuries and the advice given in respect of rehabilitation from injuries should ensure that injuries heal quicker and heal better than they would otherwise

-          Better flexibility:  relaxed, functioning muscles should be more flexible and work done on stretching during sessions will help to increase this flexibility, together with the post-session advice given on stretching yourself

-          Better posture:  again, all of the above effects of sports massage sessions should help to ensure a better overall posture

-          Pain relief:  tension in muscles can cause pain, as can the build up of waste products in the muscles. Sports massage addresses both of these.

-          Enhanced immune system:  by stimulating the flow of the lymphatic system, sports massage can potentially help to enhance the immune system, which may be noticeable

-          Relaxation:  through the relaxation of muscles during sports massage, you may well experience an overall feeling of relaxation and reduction in stress

Remember that the whole point is to make sure that you, as an athlete, are in the best possible condition, both mentally and physically, to enable you to achieve the highest level of performance that you can and to reach your goals.

Any advantage that you can get, whether physiological or psychological, can make that difference between achieving what you want to achieve and just missing out. Bearing in mind all of the potential benefits of sports massage, it’s hopefully clear that it can play a major part.

A quick introduction......

The first post of a new blog, and a quick introduction to who I am, what I do and what this blog is about.

I'm Richard Airlie-Gilbert, a Level 4 qualified Sports Massage Practitioner, based in the northern Highlands (roughly the Inverness area!). I qualified several years ago with SPS in Gloucester and now practice a couple of days a week at the Inverness Therapy Clinic, as well as providing sports massage at either my home or on a mobile basis.

The business name is "Run To The Hills Sports Massage" and, as well as this blog, you can also find me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Run-To-The-Hills-Sports-Massage/215150135245640  In addition, at some point in the near future, I'll be setting up my website at www.runtothehills.co.uk

As well as the above, I'm also a keen hillrunner, having taken part in plenty of races, done a lot of training and had my fair share of injuries. I like to think that this gives me a good insight into the challenges faced by athletes who come to see me, whether they are runners or not.

As for the purpose of this blog, I want to expand upon and share some of my thoughts on topical issues as they arise, (whether that be provoked by new articles and research or, more practically, by instances I've come across in my everyday practice) in the hope that this information and debate may be of some use to people who read the blog. I'm always open to comments and suggestions.

I hope you enjoy.........