For the CrossFit athlete who is pushing the body to limits in workouts and competition like never before, just about every muscle (especially the large muscle groups) in the body is called into play. Therefore, a sports massage can be a vital part of any person’s CrossFit training program, whether you’re a causal gym-goer or fierce competitor.

While the post-sports massage seems like the best time to receive one, the pre-rubdown is just as important, maybe more so for the person who chooses to pursue CrossFit as a sport.

A sports massage can physiologically and psychologically prepare athletes for the rigors of competition – when your muscles and mind will be screaming for you to wave the white flag of defeat. It helps ready the body for the demands of the sport by increasing muscle tissue permeability and opening micro-circulation, allowing lactic acid and other metabolic wastes to drain away, which facilitates better muscle contractions for better workouts and competition performances.

But don’t discount the post-sports massage. You see, with CrossFit, muscles are often profoundly burdened, losing its ability to release and relax. This could cause chronically taut and tight muscles, and loss of flexibility over time.

Lack of flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes athletes to a host of nagging injuries—especially pesky muscle pulls and painful tears. Blood flow through a tight muscle is poor, which also causes various degrees of pain.

Many health and fitness experts believe CrossFit athletes can benefit from a regular regimen of sports massage therapy—at least once a week, and before competition—as an effective way to combat the effects of heavily worked muscles.

A sports massage, as I mentioned earlier, helps to remove excess exercise metabolites through the increase of overall blood and lymphatic circulation, alleviating a measure of muscular pain, and facilitating healing, thus speeding up recuperation time.

Sports massage also helps with overall relaxation and sleep, which is a tremendous benefit to any type of exercise training program.

Your body will surely thank you for rewarding it with a sports massage, so you’re ready to hit The Box, a CrossFit gym, in no time. Plus, blaze a triumphant return to the sport of CrossFit.

Written by Jerry Del Priore for Bodono.

Jerry Del Priore has worked as a certified personal trainer, and received his degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College in 1991. Jerry is also a veteran print and digital Sports Writer-Reporter-Author experienced in writing in-depth profile stories on a variety of high school, college and professional athletes and teams.

Additionally, Jerry has developed a presentation based on his book, Running Through Roadblocks, which encourages children to overcome obstacles and never give up…no matter what!

Specialties: Baseball, football, hockey and basketball writing. Jerry also has covered lacrosse, soccer, golf and track and field, with ample experience cover women’s sports. Jerry is also a Food Writer/Blogger experienced in venue write-ups and reviews.

In addition, Jerry has ample experience working with medically fragile children, children with behavioral challenges and children with cognitively impairments.

Read Jerry Del Prior’s book:Running Through Roadblocks and view his blog at www.Brooklynsportsworld.wordpress.com.