editor’s note: Greg Thurmond has worked with the owner of Jobonga Massage & Natural Therapies to come up with a special offer for our PBA members. Please read the following article then scroll to the bottom for this great one-time discount offer.
How Massage Can Enhance Your Cycling Performance
Regular massage therapy is a vital part of getting the most out of your cycling regimen. Whether you cycle regularly to train for races or general fitness when time allows, massage allows you to pursue it with much more vigor and freedom. Massage is one of the earliest recorded forms of physical therapy and has been used by different cultures for over 3,000 years. It helps prevent injuries, enhances race performance and shortens recovery time.
Many professional riders, such as Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong, have their own personal massage therapist that travels with them to every race. Massage treatment is not just for the professionals. Amateur cyclists can make enormous gain by incorporating massage as part of their training regimen. These gains can be measured by the shorter clock times and the ability to go on longer rides.
Every serious rider knows the feeling one gets after a ride or for that matter during a long ride, wooden lifeless legs, tight neck and shoulders, sore wrist and triceps, lower back pain or the feeling of legs brimming with burning acid. Rest can alleviate this trauma by getting the body systems to catch up to their functions. However, most of the time it is not enough and your body needs a helping hand. What you want to have on your next ride is a tension free upper body and strong healthy cycling legs to get the most out of the session.
Lactic acid is the metabolic waste product produced by your body when you exercise hard. It pools in the muscles, giving them a dead leg feel. Although lactic acid is naturally removed through blood circulation, it can take up to several days to leave your system depending on how fit you are. Massage increases blood circulation by flushing out the acid of tired or strained muscles much faster than your body could under its own power, equating to faster recovery and better performance.
Joe Friel, noted author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible, highly recommends using massage as a recovery technique. Shortening the recovery time allows for more training. There is nothing worst than going on a training ride with tired achy legs. Proper training is what allows you to make physical improvements. No improvement can be had from a depleted condition. If you’re training regularly, massage becomes an essential part of maintaining flexibility and keeping muscles healthy.
Massage is a valuable tool for relieving painful muscle cramps and overcoming soft-tissue injuries such as tendonitis. It helps reduce swelling on overtaxed muscle bundles by straightening muscle fibers that have been knotted. Your muscles work most efficiently by having fibers lined up, stretched out and tucked into their individual bundles and moving synchronously.
Even if you’re not riding regularly consider two or three massage sessions per month. You’ll be amazed at how supple and loose you feel the day after a massage. It is amazing how tired achy legs can affect your general wellness. When you consider your body as a single unit, it won’t be long until tired achy legs work themselves into tightness in the neck, shoulder and lower back.
When you look for your own massage therapist, it’s a good idea to ask around for recommendations. Try a couple of therapists if you have to in order to find the one that provides you with good results. Massage is as much an art as science so you will not get a standard service. The therapist should be knowledgeable and passionate about massage. A good therapist will familiarize themselves with your muscles, allowing them to do a better job in future sessions. A good therapist has the touch, which gives them the ability to find problematic areas and even seek out just the right strand of muscle that needs attention. At Jobonga Massage in Plano, only massage therapists who have these qualities are retained to work on clients.
By Joseph Meneses (owner), Jobonga Massage & Natural Therapies, 6921 Independence Pkwy, Suite 130, Plano, Tx, 75023 Tel:469-467-8480 Email:jobonga@gmail.com Web:http://www.jobonga.com
PBA Special Offer
Introductory Post Performance Athletic 1 hour massage.
Mention PBA – price $39.95
