Sports massage therapy is designed to assist both athletes and non-athletes alike to prepare for, and also recover from, physical activity. This is done through manipulation of soft tissues including your muscles, tendons and ligaments. This can result in an improvement in your range of motion, a reduction in muscle tension, along with alleviating general pain and soreness.
The techniques used during a sports massage may be more vigorous than those used in a tradition relaxation massage, with specific areas of the body targeted which are under stress during athletic activities. As a result, a sports massage is also an ideal way to both warm up and cool down before and after physical exercise. It is an ideal therapy to have regularly as a form of maintenance for your physical health and to preemptively ward off future injuries.
These two therapies each have their own specific techniques and goals attached. Whilst sports massage is perfect for preparing specific parts of the body for either physical activity, or to cool off muscles afterward, deep tissue massage focuses instead on the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. As a result, deep tissue massage is often slower and performed as a full body massage. In comparison, sports massage may be more intense and active as your muscles will be activated in a way they wouldn't usually be.
