As Time Falls Back, Find Relaxation through Running!

As daylight savings approaches yet again, it’s a sign the holiday season is almost upon us. While it’s tempting to get bogged down with preparations for Halloween, Thanksgiving and beyond, keep in mind that running can be an excellent stress buster. Participating in Trick or Trots, Turkey Gobblers, and Reindeer Runs is a great way for the entire family to spend time together. Sign up today for the Wing Ding Gobbler 5K on November 14th for your chance to compete for a "Top Turkey Award" and support Brushy Creek Elementary and The Round Rock Serving Center!
While running may be a good method of stress reduction for the mind, it tends to have the opposite effect on the body. As with any exercise, running increases blood flow to the muscles and improves flexibility of the joints, though at the expense of placing significant stress on them as well. Massage can be a great way to relieve some of that stress, and should be an integral part of any serious recreational or competitive runner or walker’s training plan. Sports massage, derived from a combination of deep tissue and Swedish massage, is useful for relieving tension, accelerating recovery, and improving flexibility of muscles. It alleviates muscle tightness, reducing spasms caused from microscopic tears created during the stress of exercise. In as little as a few weeks, unchecked muscle spasms may turn into painful knots or myofascial trigger points. A masseuse will massage the entire foot, making sure to massage the heel and bottoms of the feet. By pushing in a forward motion, the skin is being stretched and you can continually apply pressure to the area to increase blood flow and relax the muscles. When using the knuckles on your hand, you can push across the bottom of the feet to provide a more intense massage and promote healing.
If you’re suffering from muscle tightness that does not subside with stretching after a day following your workout, you may want to consider incorporating massage into your training regimen. Not only will it relieve the tension in your muscles, but it will give your mind a nice break as well. Self-massage can be just as effective with the aid of a foam roller, massage stick, or tennis ball for your feet if your budget cannot accommodate a monthly visit to a professional. However, if you are consistently experiencing tightness in your calves and feet despite aggressive stretching and massage, it’s a good idea to get it checked out. The cause of the tightness could potentially be due to biomechanical factors. If left unchecked, you may be teetering on the brink of tendonitis. Come on in and we’ll conduct a gait analysis to get to the bottom of the cause!