When a muscle exercises it requires a continual supply of oxygen from the blood to provide it with the energy and nutrients it needs to work efficiently. As a result of working hard, waste products accumulate in the muscles which must be removed so that the muscles can recover. With a good blood supply to the muscles, oxygen can feed the muscles with energy and nutrients and remove the waste to prevent the muscles feeling tight, stiff and sore.

As the muscles get tight, the blood flow to the muscles becomes restricted slightly and therefore there is less oxygen and nutrients getting to the muscles to keep them healthy. A lack of energy and nutrients to a tight muscle weakens that muscle and the muscle tightens up further. With tight muscles, you will be more prone to injury during daily routines and sporting activities.

Over-training can cause tight muscles. Too much training can cause muscles to strain and often results in small micro tears to the muscle fibres. Strained muscles will tighten to protect themselves from injury thereby reducing the blood supply to that muscle. This therefore restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients getting into the muscles causing the muscles to work less efficiently.

Poor and/or static posture can also lead to tight muscles. If you have poor posture and muscles are held in a static position for long periods of time then this puts considerable pressure on the surrounding muscles, increasing the work that they have to do to overcompensate for the poor posture. These muscles are working twice as hard and almost feel over-trained. Static posture throughout the day followed by post-work training means that the tight muscles are more prone to injury.

Using a foam roller properly will assist with the stretching and manipulation of muscles and tendons in a similar way to that of massage. Using a cylindrical roller made of high-density foam, you use your own body weight to perform self-massage, helping to stretch your muscles and break down soft tissue adhesions. A popular size of roller is 36″ long and 6″ in diameter with a surface soft enough to be comfortable and hard enough not to crush under your weight. As you apply your weight to the roller, try rolling back and forth over a muscle – this will help to stretch the muscle; when you roll over an area of tension, stop rolling and and rest on the tight spot for 30 seconds – this will break down any adhesions. Take care and try to avoid any bony prominences.

With fitness being a big part of everyone’s New Year’s resolution, the gyms are full and the WiiFit’s are already reaching burn-out. About a third of New Year resolutions involve getting fit, losing weight and getting in shape and with this in mind, many people will begin a programme of exercise this month.

However, many people fail to continue with their New Year workouts past February; they expect to see quick results and when they don’t they tend to give up. Staying healthy, losing weight and getting fit is a marathon not a sprint and takes time. Once you feel your body becoming fitter and looking leaner, this will give you the motivation to continue and so this positive cycle continues.

With all this activity, you may feel pain, discomfort and soreness in your muscles, especially if your body is not used to so much activity so quickly. Don’t let these aches stop you from training; use Sports Massage to alleviate tension and the feeling of stiffness.

When a muscle is tired and has been overworked, it becomes tight and adhesions can form (bands of painful, rigid tissue) which block circulation, cause pain and limit movement. The flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscle is reduced, leading to a build up of toxins in the muscle. Sports Massage “unsticks” and loosens the adhesion, improves the circulation within the muscle, pushing toxins out and allowing fresh oxygen and nutrients in.

Sports Massage helps you recover quicker from your workout and relieves the tension that may cause injury.

Your dream of a leaner, fitter body can come true. Use Sports Massage as a way to relieve aching muscles and ensure you train hard next time.

You squat to pick up debris, bend to pluck up weeds, lift heavy bags of compost, shovel soil around the garden and kneel over tiny bedding plants – what a fabulous workout!! This is why you should try Sports Massage now.

Let’s face it, after a winter of strenuous gardening you’ve had a long season of hard training and will be aching.

You may be suffering with back, neck and shoulder pain from all that bending and lifting; your hands, forearms and legs may feel sore and stiff after endless kneeling and planting.

Massage has been proven to relieve soreness, stiffness and pain and is guaranteed to keep your muscles loose and less likely to strain.

Massage increases blood circulation & boosts nutrients at areas of pain as well as stimulating the production of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. It relieves the build up of tension and helps your tired & exhausted bodies feel re-energised. With loose muscles, range of movement improves and posture is enhanced.

Sports Massage ensures a fast recovery for aching muscles, enabling you to feel revitalised, ache-free and ready to work again.