Why Every Athlete Should Consider Physiotherapy
If you're an athlete of any sort, or if you just work out or play a certain game regularly, you could probably benefit from regular physiotherapy. Unfortunately, however, many people only turn to physiotherapy when they're injured or are feeling overly stiff and sore. Note a few reasons why everyone who is physically active, and especially those who are very athletic or who enjoy a certain sport or a regular basis, should consider sports physiotherapy as part of their regular routine, and not just for healing or recovery.
Range of motion and positioning
An athlete's range of motion will affect their overall performance; you can't hit a tennis ball or baseball if you can't reach it without pulling a muscle! However, your range of motion also affects your positioning, which is very important in most sports. When golfing or playing baseball, you need to stand in a certain way to hit the ball properly and with adequate force. Anyone protecting a goal, base, or other area of a field also typically needs to crouch down or otherwise get into certain positions, and increasing your range of motion through physiotherapy can make it easier to maintain those positions during game play.
Endurance
You may think that strong muscles are needed for lifting or hitting a ball, but well-developed muscles also give you increased endurance. Stronger muscles can perform for a longer period of time before they get fatigued, so you can run a marathon or stay in a game without needing a rest. Physiotherapy can encourage more blood and oxygen flow to those muscles so they get stronger and better developed; in turn, you can enjoy any game even if it doesn't necessarily require added physical strength.
Relaxation
While you may associate physiotherapy with getting you ready for a game or run, you also need to consider its benefits for relaxation. A therapeutic massage can help muscles to relax so they're not tense and stiff, and this also keeps them from getting fatigued when you're active, giving you greater endurance.
This relaxation can also help you to sleep better, as you won't have so many aches and pains from being active. Since the body rebuilds and repairs muscles during sleep, getting quality sleep is a requirement for an athlete or anyone who is very active! You also need your sleep to ensure your energy levels are healthy for your game play or a marathon, so consider physiotherapy if you find sleep is difficult or if you often feel overly tired before or after your game or run.