Sports Recovery: How to Stay in the Game and Off the Sidelines

The football season is well underway and other sports like netball, hockey, basketball, and distance running are ramping up. But along with the excitement of game days and team training, we’re also seeing a rise in sports related injuries.

Cold weather can stiffen muscles, slow warm up responses, and increase the risk of strains, sprains, and joint pain. Whether you’re an amateur athlete, weekend warrior, or competitive player, your recovery routine is your greatest defence.

Let’s explore how key recovery treatments such as Myotherapy, massage, infrared sauna, and MLD massage can help you recover better, perform at your best, and prevent injuries.

Myotherapy & Massage: Your First Line of Defence

During the cooler months, our bodies tend to hold more tension, and tight muscles are more prone to tearing. This is where Myotherapy and massage become essential.

These treatments can:

• Release muscle tightness

• Improve flexibility and range of motion

• Increase circulation to cold, stiff areas

• Support faster healing of minor strains or niggles

• Reduce inflammation and joint stiffness

Regular sessions during the season not only help treat current discomfort but can also prevent small issues from becoming major injuries. For players training multiple times a week, even fortnightly maintenance can make a big difference.

Infrared Sauna: Warming Up, Recovery From the Inside Out

Cold temperatures can slow circulation and limit the body’s ability to clear out inflammation. An infrared sauna gently warms the body from within, stimulating deep muscular relaxation and promoting recovery without added physical effort.

Key benefits include:

• Improved blood flow, bringing oxygen and nutrients to recovering tissues

• Reduced inflammation, stiffness, and muscle pain

• Faster post -training recovery, especially after high-intensity matches

• Mental relaxation, aiding sleep and stress relief

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD): Clear the Waste, Speed the Healing

When we push our bodies in training or competition, metabolic waste builds up in our tissues. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a light, rhythmic massage technique designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, our body’s natural detox system. 

For athletes, MLD helps to:

• Reduce swelling and inflammation post-game

• Clear lactic acid buildup faster

• Accelerate healing after soft tissue injuries

• Boost immune function (especially important during the winter cold/flu season)

MLD is ideal after high-volume training, injury recovery, or when you’re feeling run down. It supports recovery in a gentle, non-invasive way.

Stay Ahead of Injury: Build Recovery Into Your Routine

Injury prevention doesn’t happen on the field, it happens in the recovery room. By building a tailored recovery plan that includes hands on therapy, circulation boosting sauna sessions, and lymphatic support, you’ll not only bounce back quicker from each session, but stay more resilient as the season progresses.

Here’s a simple winter sports recovery routine:

• Myotherapy/Massage every 2–4 weeks (more often during high loads or injury)

• Infrared Sauna x1 per week

• MLD Massage as needed for swelling, fatigue, or immune support

Need a game plan? We’ve got you. We support athletes of all levels with targeted, results driven recovery treatments that keep you performing your best.

Book online today and let us create your personalised recovery schedule and keep your season injury free.