You’re fitting marathon training into an already busy schedule; you don’t have time to also research the different kinds of massages best for runners, so we’ll break it down for you.
Deep Tissue: These are the hurts-so-good massages. In technical terms, that means these massages target the deeper layers of muscles, tendons, and fascia (the tissue covering muscles), releasing painful knots and reducing overall aches and pains. We wouldn’t go as far as to call them relaxing, but you’ll certainly be glad you did them. They typically focus on massaging the entire muscle. (Yeah, we’re looking at you, quads.)
Sports Massage: This is exactly what it sounds like — a massage for runners. Combining deep tissue and assisted stretching, it’s a great healing technique for anyone who wants to decrease muscle soreness, improve flexibility and increase the range of motion. Once again, this isn’t the relaxing massage your friends will be jealous of, but it will help with muscle stiffness and relaxation, as it lowers your heart rate and blood pressure.
ART Massage: Active Release Technique massages combine movement with deep pressure to target and relieve any adhesions (where the muscle has become chronically contracted). This type of massage is best for a specific injury you’re working on.
Swedish Massage: You might be surprised to see this “lighter” massage here, but it’s actually a perfect one for just before a big race. Just as muscles need time to recover from a big workout, they also need time to recover from intense massages as well.