Clients always ask about my swimming teams and what happens during competition days. There are various times the athlete can use massage to maximize performance and reduce stress throughout the swimming competition.
I break it down into 3 segments. Warm up, shake out, and warm down.
Warm up massage – This is done before getting in the pool for their warm up. If they are feeling tight or need a bit of spot work for an injury this can help. An example would be a tight shoulder or low back issue.
Lotion may or may not be used and the session will only last 10-15 minutes. It can also be used to relax a bit if the athlete is nervous about the days competition.
Shake out – This is a brisk and very active type of massage. This is done about 20-30 minutes before their competition. It’s designed to prepare the body and mind for the event. I employ rocking, shaking, stretching, range-of-motion, and compression techniques.
No lotion is used for a shake out since the swimmer will not get back in the water before competition.
This is actually my favorite and once the swimmer understands what it does in terms of getting the body ready for competition I believe it helps improve performance.
We can also use it to get focused for the swim and it also helps calm the mind and body during the 2-3 minute session.
Warm down massage – This is performed after the event. Once you warm down, re-hydrate, change from the competition suit, we will complete a 15-20 minute massage. It consists of more calming techniques, compression, stretching, and general massage using lotion. This is also the time to work on tight or sore muscles and to work with cupping, scraping, or taping techniques.
Deep Tissue massage may be used to relax a muscle or muscle group but generally not for the entire body.