How To Work With Legs In Sports Massage Video

Working the legs is an important part of any massage. Get expert tips and advice on massage and other treatments in this video.

Take Action

Increase the blood flow
Use rapid strokes to go up the legs
Start at the ankle
Perform circles around the knee
Apply thumb pressure on the legs

About this Author

Malu works for Retreat Massage Therapy as a massage therapist. She is well versed in techniques that are particularly helpful for athletes.

MALU LUJAN: Okay, so we are going to use some techniques to work the legs, and these techniques will just be similar to some of the techniques we have shown in other clips but they will be a little bit more vigorous to help increase the blood flow. And how quickly or slowly you do something can really determine what effect it has on the person you are working on. For example, if you use a dozen strokes and they are the same stroke and you do them quickly and lightly that person will just kind of go into a trance. If you use three strokes that are about medium speed and medium pressure, they are probably going to fall asleep. So we are just going to use some quick, rapid strokes to increase the blood flow. This helps move toxins through the system. Another thing you can do which is a good way to work the legs but it also helps the entire body is to do a little bit of lymphatic massage on certain areas of the legs, so we are just doing a lit bit of rapid strokes here, just a little vigorous massage to sort of work the legs. Okay, so we are just going to another technique in working the legs is--it is actually beneficial to the whole system. I am starting at the ankles and I am actually going to be working the lymphatic system that begins in the legs. So you start on the inside of the leg at the ankle and I am going faster than you would normally do this if you are really trying to work on someone's lymphatic system. And you basically just put steady pressure going up the inside of the leg into the groin. You can use beating, pounding. You can use massage tools for this. You can use your fists. And another great technique, especially like in the front of the leg, is to do some circles around the knee. Circles on any part of the body feel really good. They can be little ones, or they can go around the joint or a muscle and be really large ones. Thumb pressure is also a wonderful way to relieve tension when you are working on the legs. So those are some techniques that are really great to use when you are working the legs.

How to Work with Legs in Sports Massage Video

Take Action

About this Author

Member Comments