Let’s be honest—as sports professionals, we don’t half put our bodies through hell at times. But we love what we do, and rightly so.
That said, there are times when all we (and our clients) need is some R&R—and there aren’t many better ways to recover after a gruelling workout than with a sports massage.
Even before a workout, a sports massage can help our muscles prepare. So, if you run a PT business, offering sports massage treatment can prove highly beneficial to you and your clients.
What is a sports massage?
A sports massage is a form of massage treatment used to relieve tension in the muscles and tissue for someone with a rigorous exercise regime.
Sports massages often focus on specific areas of the body that need additional relief, such as the arms or legs. That’s why personal trainers also often have sports massage qualifications as a way of providing a more holistic service to clients.
Sports massage benefits
It’s not just fitness pros who can benefit from a sports massage, however. They come with many benefits for all, not necessarily just those who have a PT or partake in regular physical activity.
The benefits of a sports massage include the following:
- increased blood flow to the muscles
- the removal of toxins from the body and muscles
- the prevention of scar tissue
- pain relief
- reduced stress
Related: The benefits of sports massage
The best sports massage oils for your business
If you’re a PT looking to expand into sports massage therapy, you need to know what you’re doing before you can officially add sports massaging to your list of services.
Sound like you? Here are six of the best sports massage oils for your business to get you started.
Arnica Oil
Arnica oil is used to treat various ailments, such as bruising, sprains, muscular aches, and joint pain—so it is one of the best sports massage oils you can use.
The Arnica plant (also known as Mountain Arnica) is a yellow flower often seen across the alpine meadows and mountains of mainland Europe in the summer. Its soothing, anti-inflammatory effects have been used worldwide for centuries.
This particular Arnica Oil from Zen Maitri is infused into an almond carrier oil and heated gently under a vacuum. Arnica oil stimulates peripheral blood circulation, which makes it perfect for sports massages. It can also help soothe the symptoms of varicose veins.
Related: Top 5 benefits of arnica oil
5Kind Sports Massage Oil
Made with a unique, 100% natural formula with no parabens, preservatives or artificial fragrances, 5Kind’s Sports Massage Oil is another important ingredient for your business.
It contains essential oils that help warm the muscles, release toxins, and aid blood flow. But that’s not all, the natural ingredients fully nourish the muscles and release physical tension and knots in the body—ideal for athletes or anyone with overworked muscles.
5Kind uses lavender and peppermint essential oils to aid relaxation and stress relief in its products, which can be used both pre and post-training.
The brand is also vegan and entirely cruelty-free.
Quinessence Organic Body Oil
It’s a well-known fact that your muscles work better when they’re warm, and this organic body oil from Quinessence Aromatherapy is the perfect choice for a workout warm-up.
A pre-workout massage has several psychological benefits, such as relieving stress and increasing focus on the task at hand.
This Quinessence oil contains ginger, eucalyptus, black pepper and spearmint, causing blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood circulation to provide deep warmth within the muscles.
Increased blood flow means more oxygen to the muscles, which makes performance in the gym not only better but faster too. The warmer and looser the muscles before exercise, the less likely a muscular injury, such as a tear or strain, becomes.
Related: Is it best to get a massage before or after a workout?
Temple Spa ‘Work It Out’ Oil
Temple Spa’s ‘Work It Out’ oil is a blend of 21 Mediterranean essential oils, including juniper, clove, cypress and thyme—all of which are known to soothe muscles and aid detoxification.
This oil blend works wonders for tight muscles and sore joints while also giving the relaxed body that full-on ‘recharge’ feeling. It’s no wonder so many trainers and massage therapists use it.
There’s also a base of natural oils among the mix: sesame, avocado, jojoba, kukui, grapeseed, soya bean and grapefruit. It’s safe to say it’s absolutely packed full of goodness—you really can’t go wrong.
MCC Muscle Magic Massage Oil
This Muscle Magic Massage Oil is quite literally what it says on the tin (or bottle)—magic for the muscles.
A soothing blend of olive, castor and comfrey oil infused with rosemary, thyme, yarrow, lavender and chamomile essential oils, this product can be used directly as a sports massage oil or added to bathwater to aid muscle relaxation and relieve tension.
The MCC Muscle Magic can also ease the symptoms of restless leg syndrome and cramping. Outside the gym, it’s a good one to keep by your bedside, too.
FirstAid4Sport Sports Massage Oil
FirstAid4Sport’s sports massage oil is beautifully relaxing while perfect for muscle stimulation and blood flow at the same time.
A combination of grapeseed, peppermint, lemongrass, lavender and rosemary essential oils enhance its therapeutic qualities and reduce any aches and pains lingering from exercise.
Lemongrass essential oil, in particular, is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties, too, making this product a great choice for sprains as well as tendon and ligament niggles.
Related: Essential oils for inflammation—do they work?
Specialist personal trainer insurance with Insure4Sport
Being able to offer sports massage services as part of your personal training business is a great selling point, but you may want to check you’re insured to do so before you start signing up clients for a session.
With Insure4Sport, specialist personal trainer insurance is designed to cover you in the event of all kinds of scenarios you may find yourself in as a personal trainer or massage therapist. Public Liability cover, in particular, protects you if you’re responsible for a client injuring themselves during one of your sessions.
Click here to learn more about specialist personal trainer insurance with Insure4Sport and get an online quote today.
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