Around 88% of people report that massage can effectively reduce their pain which is why in a typical year, approximately 47.5 million people in the U.S. opt for this type of therapy. Although massage can reduce stress, quell pain, and form part of a rehabilitation program, one type of massage – sports massage – is so important to athletes that it often forms part of their fitness routine in sports like football, cycling, and running. If you are an avid runner, how can massage help you and what techniques can you look forward to trying out?

Manual Massage Techniques

There are four main techniques used in sports and Swedish massage: effleurage, frictions, petrissage, and tapotement. Effleurage involves stroking skin and sliding the hands over areas that could be tight in or in pain. Frictions involve running the fingers back and forth over specific areas to promote healing and to break down scar tissue. Petrissage is arguably the most appreciated part of a massage; it involves kneading muscle fibers to boost lymphatic and venous return and this stage of a massage can feel most soothing and relaxing. Finally, tapotement includes striking the skin with both hands alternately using the side of the hand with the pinky finger. Skin is struck quickly and vigorously and this motion can feel very pleasant – particularly when one has a stiff neck or back. Tapotement promotes circulation and warms muscles up.

Massage Guns

Many massage therapists and chiropractors use massage guns alongside manual massage. The effect is similar to that afforded by tapotement. In the same way that a therapist used fast strokes to ease pain, improve blood flow and loosen knots, they can add a gun into the equation to speed things up or take a rest between the use of manual techniques. Muscle guns can get blood flowing and help restore comfort to various parts of the body – including the neck, lower and upper back, legs, feet, and calves. One of its benefits is that, in absence of a therapist, runners can get immediate relief by using a gun meant for personal use. One study (Imtiyaz et al, 2014)  found that this type of massage is as effective as manual massage in the prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness.

The Proven Benefits of Massage for Runners

Rather than using massage as a remedy, runners can benefit from having regular massages. Massage helps tissues become more flexible, it relaxes muscles, relieves trigger points, and improves range of motion. It can also help reduce adhesions after an injury has taken place. A plethora of studies has shown that massage can help improve blood pressure, mood, and self-reported recovery. In other words, massage also has an important psychological component that can help keep athletes motivated, focused, and free of the kind of stress that can provoke anxiety or stop them from doing their best. A study review published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine (Davis, 2020) sports massage may improve flexibility and delayed onset muscle soreness.

Runners often complain of pain in their feet and legs. Massage can help quell pain, tightness, and stiffness in various parts of the body and can form part of their wellness routine. The four main manual massage techniques can be used alongside massage guns to help athletes find relief after a hard workout, but they can also be used between workouts to improve aspects such as blood pressure and mood.

Recovery drinks are packed with amino acids and micronutrients that can help you recover post-workout. But that’s only if you use them right. If not, you risk missing out on the benefits, undermining your training, and staying fatigued for long after.

This article is about all the mistakes you’re probably making with your post-workout recovery drink. If you stick around till the end, we’ll also share some critical tips on how you can get it right.

1. Not mixing it properly

Have you ever mixed your protein shake only to find that it comes out lumpy with a ton of chunks? Mixtures like these are very difficult to swallow, and make you less likely to use a recovery drink the second time around.

Plus, without proper dissolution, you won’t get the benefits immediately after drinking. That’s the opposite of what you want with a recovery drink.

The solution is to put the liquid in first. When you later add the powder, it will dissolve with only mild stirring. This technique also makes it less likely for some powder to remain at the button of the cup.

2. Mixing in twenty different superfoods

Most protein shakes, like tailwind nutrition’s recovery drink are all-inclusive. That means they replenish your glycogen stores, replace electrolytes, and even help you with muscle repair. They are basically everything you need after a rewarding session in the gym.

What you don’t want to do is start tacking on all kinds of superfoods and supplements along with your drink. Many people like to buy industrial-grade blenders and mix everything from almond nuts to various kinds of fruits to get a “super” effect.

These foods are great, but they aren’t the best idea immediately after a workout. Instead, stick to one thing – your recovery drink – and have a nutritious meal much later. On the other hand, you can also have a high-protein meal and skip the drink. Just remember to keep it simple.

3. Chasing an anabolic window

Several researches have shown that there’s no such thing as an anabolic window. This means you can take your protein supplement one minute after your workout or a while later. One mistake people make is to quickly mix their recovery drink and chug before they’ve even had a chance to catch their breath.

Taking the drink within 30 minutes allows your body to quickly absorb it and get to work repairing damaged muscles. But if you don’t have your drink until you get back home, there’s no harm done.

Another mistake you can make here is to replace your meals with your recovery drink. You should try to get some food in you a few hours after training to get some other macros that aren’t included in your shake.

4. You’re not reading the label

You should always read the label of everything you’re putting in your body. Although some manufacturers don’t always make this easy because they have long and intimidating ingredient lists. Naturally, you’d assume the drinks must be worth something.

But many times, this isn’t the case. Some of them have ingredients that are simply fillers – they sound good on paper but don’t contribute anything significant to your overall recovery.

The good news is that there are great supplements out there that keep their ingredient composition short and sweet. They use only the best ingredients based on exhaustive scientific research and can deliver excellent muscle recovery.

5. You’re ignoring recovery drinks altogether

At this point, most people understand the value of recovery drinks. But you may still not be on board because of certain dietary restrictions. For example, if you’re vegan, you probably won’t feel comfortable chugging a recovery drink unless you know for certain that no animals were harmed. The same applies to gluten or any GMO products. 

Well, we have good news for you. There are tons of shakes out there that meet your dietary requirements. They are vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free. All you need to find them is a little bit of research.

Some great recovery drink ideas

Even though they are wildly effective, manufactured protein drinks aren’t the only option for a great recovery post-workout. We have a list of 4 natural drinks that can help you hydrate, refuel, and speed up muscle repair.

1. Chocolate milk

Chocolate milk has twice the carbohydrates you find in regular milk and it’s an excellent choice for fueling up post-workout. It replenishes your glycogen stores and helps you hydrate after working up a good sweat.

If you’re engaged in any kind of endurance work, like cycling or running, good news because some studies show that chocolate milk is particularly great after these activities.

2. Coconut water

Coconut water is packed with antioxidants and nutrients – a fact that most people are now familiar with. But did you know that it’s particularly effective as a post-workout beverage? It contains an abundance of electrolytes like magnesium and potassium.

In fact, one study found coconut water to be just as effective as sports drinks when taken post-workout. Researchers do warn that instead of knocking it back like you would a sports drink, it’s better to hydrate slowly because coconut water could cause bloating.

3. Black and green tea

One research has found that tea is good for more than just a relaxing afternoon. It plays a critical role in fat oxidation, helping you convert fat stores to energy. That’s great because you can lose even more fat post-workout than you usually would. Tea is also a rich source of antioxidants and has been shown to help lower blood cortisol levels.

4. Cherry juice

You don’t hear this often but cherry juice is a great choice for a post-workout drink. It is very effective in fighting muscle soreness, reducing inflammation, and aiding in muscle recovery. You’ll notice that it sounds suspiciously similar to a recovery drink.

Several studies exploring the effectiveness of cherry juice have found that athletes that drink it immediately after a long-distance run experienced quicker muscle recovery and had decreased inflammation.

Running is considered one of the best workout routines to stay fit. If you become a trained runner, you will enjoy joining running groups and overdoing your previous distance. Here are a few tips to become a better runner.

1. Choose the Right Type of Shoe

To become a runner and not injure yourself, getting the right shoe is very important. There are different running shoes you can find in the market based on your running preferences. Remember to change the shoes before they wear off.

2. Join a Club

Running solo may be a boring experience for many. Joining a running club is an excellent idea as they organize several runs in groups, which will keep you motivated. You will make running friends who share the same passion, hence discover more places to run.

3. Be Realistic

When you work to be a runner, you need to create a realistic training strategy. Trying to do too much too soon does not work as it will leave you burned out or injured. You need to pick up the pace slowly and steadily.

4. Select Running Socks

You should always wear socks while buying shoes to ensure the shoe fits right. Also, get runner-specific socks that offer extra padding across the ball of the foot, toes, and heel area, which cuts down the impact and can protect your feet. 

5. Select Your Running Wardrobe

Once you have your running shoes and socks, now let us focus on your running clothes. As it is a high-intensity workout, you need to wear lightweight and breathable clothes. Female runners should get a good sports bra that is meant for high-intensity workouts. If you are training in bad weather, get a running jacket that protects you from wind and rain.

6. Be Regular

To become a better runner, you need to be consistent. The more regular you are, the sooner you will improve. With practice, you will learn to run at a sustainable pace and have better recovery over time.

7. Get Stronger in Your Core

Running is not just about the legs but your total fitness. You need to have more muscular legs for sure to be speedier, but you need to strengthen your core too. This is why runners should not just stick to running but also do some strength training to strengthen their muscles and improve mobility and flexibility.

8. Tweak Your Technique

Running may seem really simple, but it is not that straightforward. If you want to become the best, you need to learn the proper techniques from experts first. Tweaking your techniques will make your running sessions even more effortless and enjoyable.

9. Know Your Limits

You do not have to finish every run. It feels excellent to smash every run session, but if your body is not up for it, better not to push it. You should listen to your body as an athlete, and it always gives signs and indications of its limit. Pushing yourself harder is great, but doing it too hard may result in fatigue and injury, which affects your routine long-term.

10. Refuel Without Delay

Refueling your body, especially after a run, is very vital for post recover. You will feel tired after a run if you do not refuel yourself. Eat a proper meal that contains carbs and protein immediately after the run to replace energy.

11. Always Warm Down

Warming down when you work out is a crucial step that most people neglect. A proper warm down will relax muscles and remove waste products, which in turn reduces muscle soreness. Reduce your speed at the end of your running sessions for a few minutes to warm down your body.

12. Get More Sleep

Sleeping well is of utmost essential for people who exert a lot like runners. Sleep provides rest to your body and mind. Sleep deprivation results in loss of performance and negatively impacts your training. When you sleep, your body repairs and rejuvenates itself, which is why you should sleep for 8 hours at least every night to feel refreshed the next morning.

13. Take Rest Days

Once you get the hold of running, you can get addicted to it as you will enjoy it more and more. Take at least one day completely off every week to allow your body to recover and for you to glow up. If you skip your rest day, you will be risking yourself to burn out or, worst, will get injured, which will take time to heal. Take rest one day helps in recovering so that you can continue with running with full energy the next day.

The Bottom Line

Though it may seem tough in the beginning, once you get the hang of it, you will really enjoy your running sessions and no other workout will seem so exhilarating.

Being a personal trainer can be a demanding job. Dealing with clients on a regular basis, advertising your services, organizing bookings, handling payments, the list goes on. Keeping on top of your workload can prove challenging, especially if time isn’t on your side.

To build up a good reputation, personal trainers must organize their workload properly. If you don’t keep track of your client’s payments, you might lose out on a lot of money. If you gain a reputation of double booking clients, you are going to have a lot of unhappy customers. You might end up rushing a gym session which can lead to injury. If your client sustains an injury during one of your classes, you can expect plenty of negative feedback. Making time for each of your clients is vital. If you find yourself with a lot of clients, you will want to have a system in place that keeps track of their progress, the different exercises they have been doing, and what you have planned for them down the line. If you don’t have a functioning system in place, it is going to be very hard to remember details about each of your clients.

Embrace Technology

In today’s society, technology is everywhere we go. There is plenty of software and applications that personal trainers can use to their advantage. Logging everything into a physical diary can cause a lot of confusion, especially for personal trainers who have a lot on their plate. That is why so many people nowadays are investing in the best personal training software. These software packages will help you with the following:

• Bookings: Some software packages will allow you to add your own brand to your booking page. This will make your PT service look professional.
• Most booking pages are mobile-optimized so people won’t have difficulty reading the content on their smart device.
• It will handle your payments: Asking your clients for payment can create an awkward situation. Instead, why not let the software package handle all your payments for you. This will help you focus on your job, and keep track of the money coming in. With this system in place, you can keep track of the clients who have paid, and which fees are still outstanding.
• Organize your daily schedule: Every human makes a mistake now and again, but personal trainers who have a long list of clients often ask their clients to come in at the wrong time. To avoid double booking customers, you can create a schedule on the software system which you can share with your clients.

These software packages are like having your own personal assistant. There are plenty of reputable software developers creating apps and software packages that can help manage and organize a personal trainer’s entire workload.

Give Your Clients Homework

Sometimes, clients think that the only time they need to exercise is when they are with their personal trainer. However, if you want them to achieve their goals sooner rather than later, you should provide them with an exercise plan for the week. If they work hard during their classes once or twice a week but refuse to exercise during the rest of the week they will struggle to hit their goals.

To give your client’s a better chance of succeeding, give them some homework to do. If they don’t bother doing their homework they can’t expect to reach their goals. This puts a little pressure off the personal trainer, as it makes their clients accountable.

However, you don’t want your clients to overdo it either. Don’t forget to warn them about the dangers of working out too often, especially if they are new to the gym. If they have little experience, especially when it comes to lifting heavy weights, they could sustain a very serious injury. Ask them to avoid using equipment they don’t know how to use. If they want to avoid getting hurt, they must know the different techniques used.

An Organized Personal Trainer Can Do a Better Job

If you are properly organized, you are on the right track to becoming a successful personal trainer. It might leave a good impression on your clients because they will see that you value their time. If you are not organized there is a good chance that you will get stressed now and again. If you have these negative feelings it is highly likely it will rub off on your client, which might create a toxic environment. Even if you are having a bad day it is vital that you stay positive while you are dealing with a client. This will help them stay motivated while they are working out, and it might make your classes fun and exciting.

Just because you have a limited amount of time to work with each client, under no circumstances should you rush any of their sessions. If you encourage your client to work out faster they could easily get injured.

Ask Your Clients to Come in Earlier

Most people spend approximately ten minutes warming up before they start exercising. If you have your client for one hour, you’ll only have 50 minutes to show them what to do. If your client can warm up themselves before your class begins, it can save both of you ten minutes. This way they will be ready to work hard as soon as the class begins.

Also, you can ask your client to warm down themselves too, which again might take another five or ten minutes off their session. Although warming up and down is easy, you want to make sure that your client does it before and after each session to avoid getting injured. If they haven’t warmed up before your class begins, make sure they don’t skip it.

Invest in a Smart Watch

Smartwatches have been around for some time, but recent models have taken the device to the next level. The first models that went on the market seemed to have very poor battery life. Having to charge these watches every 12 hours or so proved extremely frustrating. However, the latest version can last up to three weeks without having to recharge them.

Of course, they are used by exercise enthusiasts all around the globe, but they can also be used to organize your busy schedule. Consider investing in a smartwatch that connects with your smartphone or computer. This way you will be notified about upcoming classes without having to look at your phone. Looking at your smartphone during a class can make your client feel like you are not giving them your full attention, which can be very frustrating for them, especially after they have spent their hard-earned money on your services. Taking a glance at your smartwatch won’t interrupt your session.

Conclusion

If you have a small personal training business with only a handful of clients, then you are probably managing your workload and time well, however, if you want the business to expand, you should consider investing in a decent and reliable system. Although some of these software packages can cost a pretty penny, they will help you take your business to the next level.

The fitness industry is in a constant state of flux. Fitness professionals are always coming up with new fitness routines, diets, and exercises that promise to change the way you work out for the better. If you’re looking to make some fitness changes in your life, here are six fitness tips that will help!

Create a routine

A good fitness routine should be tailored to your needs and lifestyle. You should be able to easily fit fitness into your everyday life. Make fitness a priority in your life by setting aside time every day, or even several times a week, for fitness activities.

Routine consists of fitness, fitness components, and fitness equipment. According to the fitness pros from Vesta movement gym in Atlanta, some fitness routines are designed to be done at home while others require the use of fitness centers or professional trainers, especially for beginners. You should also establish fitness goals and work towards achieving them. Goals can include becoming more fit or losing weight, but remember to be realistic with the time frame you give yourself. Fitness is something that takes dedication over an extended period of time so don’t set unrealistic expectations from day one!

It may seem impossible at first, but as long as you make fitness a priority in your life it will become easier over time. It’s important to maintain perseverance even when things get challenging because eventually, those challenges will turn into success stories!

Mix it up

Don’t get stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Try different things so your body doesn’t get used to one specific workout type or frequency.

Doing something different will keep your body guessing so it doesn’t get used to one workout type or frequency. In order to avoid hitting that plateau where progress stops, mix up what you do day by day in regards to fitness routine exercises, fitness components, and even the intensity level at which you work out! Change things around frequently enough so your body is getting stimulated from all angles.

Seek professional guidance

You can’t know what’s best for yourself if you don’t know what’s going on inside of your body. Or what fitness goals you want to achieve and how that’s going to be done.

You can’t know the best fitness routine for yourself, or even if it will work for you unless you get professional help from a fitness trainer! They have years upon years of knowledge about the human body so they’ll be able to tell exactly which fitness type would work well with your fitness abilities, lifestyle, and preferred working out schedule. This person will also create an individualized workout plan based on your health condition, age, and gender.

Find fitness inspiration

If you don’t love fitness, it’s going to be tough for you to make fitness a priority in your life. It takes work! You can’t make fitness a priority in your life unless you love it.

It’s hard to stay committed to fitness if you don’t like it, or even care for something that doesn’t bring happiness into your life.

To find fitness inspiration by trying out different things until you discover what type of fitness routine makes the biggest impact on how good you feel about yourself and have fun while doing so! Fitness is supposed to be enjoyable after all. Whether that means finding exercise routines that match up with your personality traits or interests, being social when working out (i.e joining a gym/ workout classes), traveling often but wanting some motivation to keep fit while away from home – anything works as long as it brings fulfillment.

Focus on fitness, not weight

If you’re only doing fitness because of how it’s going to make your body look, then that might be a big motivator for some people – but what fitness really needs to be about is how it makes your body feel.

If you’re working out just because of the way that workout will impact your physical appearance, then you might not be reaching fitness goals in an effective manner! You want fitness routines that focus on making your muscles stronger and more flexible rather than only on losing weight.

Keep fitness fun

The biggest reason people give up on fitness is that they stop enjoying it. If fitness isn’t enjoyable anymore, then there’s no point in doing it! If fitness routines are turning into a chore then you’re more likely to stop working out after a while.

We hope you’ve found this blog post helpful. If you enjoyed it, please share it with your friends and family on social media! Remember that fitness is an important part of everyone’s life no matter what their goal may be (to lose weight or gain muscle). Keep these 6 tips in mind to help make your next workout more successful – we know they’ve certainly helped us out when we’re trying to stay motivated at the gym.

Going keto means adopting a high-fat, low-carb diet. Often, the reason for taking on a keto diet is to starve the body of the carbohydrate energy that’s readily available and push it into utilizing fat as a primary source of fuel.  

Most runners rely on carbs to generate energy, and are, therefore, skeptical about trying keto. To them, going keto translates to reduced energy levels. For others, the whole process of figuring out keto recipes is a put-off. 

While a keto diet might affect your energy levels, this only happens as your body transitions from using carb as the primary energy source to becoming a fat burner. Once this process is complete, the energy levels peak again. 

As a runner, you can boost your energy levels by exploring different keto diet ideas available on sites like eatpropergood.com. If you’ve not tried keto yet, here are five reasons why you can consider to do so: 

1. Build Fat Adaptation

If you’ve ever hit the wall in a running event, then you know what it feels like to run out of energy. When you’re pushing your body harder in the long run, it derives most of its power from the glycogen reserves created from the carbs you eat. Once your body exhausts these reserves, it needs to turn to another energy source to keep you going, which is fat. 

But, this isn’t an obvious transition. If your body isn’t accustomed to utilizing fat as an energy source, you’ll hit the wall once you exhaust the glycogen reserves. As such, your body will struggle to switch from glycogen to fat suddenly, a factor that’ll affect your performance negatively. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online, such as https://www.drberg.com, which have plenty of information and advice about what to expect when you start a keto diet so that you can go into it as prepared as possible and understand what is happening to your body (and why!).

Going on a keto diet helps your body to adapt to switching from glycogen to fat energy sources, and you’ll begin to look out for keto-friendly meals that will help you achieve this goal. Once your body becomes fat-adapted, the hitting-the-wall challenge will disappear gradually. This means your energy levels will last for an extended period, and you can run for hours without getting fatigued, resulting in improved performance. 

2. Sleep Better

When your body is in ketosis mode, you’ll find yourself sleeping better. When you retire to bed, you’ll sleep faster. Mornings will feel good, and you’ll be ready to kick off your day right away. Early morning routines, like gym and running sessions, will become a breeze because you won’t experience low energy or hunger pangs. 

3. Burn Excess Fat

Every runner wants to burn excess fat and build muscle instead. While running is one of the most effective ways to burn excess fat, going on a keto diet helps fast-track the process even more. You’ll maintain strength and build muscle by cutting down on your carb intake and increasing protein, fat, and vegetable intake. As the body gets accustomed to the keto diet, you’ll likely develop great lean muscles.  If you’re not sure which foods to eat, search the Internet for sites that specialize on keto diet, such as eatpropergood.com. You’ll be surprised at the recipe ideas available on their website.

4. Increase Energy Levels

The initial days of going keto are never easy. You’ll find yourself struggling from the drop in energy levels as your body is starved of carbs. But, this state isn’t permanent. As you continue with the diet and your body learns to convert fat into energy, your energy levels will begin to peak again. 

By the time you’re done with keto, your energy levels will be much smoother, meaning they’ll flow more steadily, with fewer ups and downs. 

Furthermore, the slump experience that many runners experience during afternoon sessions disappears when you go on a keto diet. Although you’ll get tired and require some time to relax and recover, a keto diet goes a long way in giving you mental clarity and keeping you energized throughout the day.

5. Boost Brain And Heart Health

The keto diet offers numerous health benefits to runners. A low-carb, high-fat diet has the potential to remove pre-cancerous cells from the body. Going on a keto diet two to three times a year can boost your heart health by lowering oxidative stress and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, this type of diet can enhance the ability of brain cells to protect you from neurodegenerative conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease, and keep stroke at bay. 

Final Thoughts

As a high-fat, low-carb diet, keto is mainly associated with weight loss. It’s viewed as the ideal diet for people looking to burn the excess fat they’ve accumulated in their bodies. But, this isn’t necessarily true. Anyone, including runners, can benefit significantly from keto diet. Runners who reduce their carb intake train their bodies to use fat as an additional energy source once they exhaust their glycogen energy reserves. This translates to prolonged and highly improved performance for them.