Back on the massage table

It’s been many years since I had ventured into the world of sports therapy and massage.

The recent sojourn to Belgium and a heavy (by my standards block of training) left me keen to visit a newly opened facility on my doorstep in Yaxley.

My age and the hunched over nature of cycling has left me visiting a chiropractor regularly for over a decade. This was something completely different though and an opportunity to get some time on the massage table, just as professional cyclists do.

So how much of this therapy was to get my aching muscles springy and ready for the following weeks’ time trial and how much was mentally soothing?

The answer was about 60-40 in favour of physical in my case. A thoroughly worthwhile experience that I will be looking to repeat in the future.

Pauleys does have the advantage of being run by a keen cyclist who was keen to talk bikes and kit and experiences as he worked on my aching spine. We talked about some new methods of stretching I have adopted and how to keep competitive without compromising on family and work time.

Although the pressure on my legs was applied, I soon felt much less fatigued and the chance to chat generally added to the feeling it was useful time spent.

In conclusion I completely get why pro cyclists need some time with a masseur on a more or less daily basis. It’s great for the muscles and for the grey matter.  For someone at the level I am at, it’s a great aid to performance alongside diet and training.

I don’t know why I have waited until it’s on my doorstep to use it as an aid again.

http://www.pauleyssportsperformance.com/