Sport Massage in NYC Advice

April 3, 2007 11:59 AM

NYC Sports Massage: Can you recommend someone to help me with my flexibility and soreness, particularly in the hamstrings? I'd love someone who is familiar working with athletes. East Village area preferred. Thanks!

Anyone have any success stories? Any advice? I'm thinking that I'll try to visit every two weeks or so (I don't have much money), in addition to working on stretching on my own. I've come to the realization that almost all my injuries are related to tight hammies, so I really want to get them in better shape. I'm already seeing a PT to work on the trouble spots and, again, stretching more at home; I think that really working the muscles could help too.

posted by jtajta to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

Gridskipper posted a list of the best chinese massages in the city a few weeks back http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-york/the-best-chinese-massages-in-the-city-238115.php

Can't speak for any of them in particular though... There is also the Russian Turkish Baths
www.russianturkishbaths.com

I go occasionally to Spa H in Hoboken (right across the river) who have some good therapists, but may be a bit more expensive...
posted by jeffe at 12:39 PM on April 3, 2007

Advice, not direct answer to your question: remember to stretch during the middle of your normal workout. There's a mantra that goes something like "stretch first to avoid hurting yourself, stretch warm to add flexibility". (Disclaimer: be careful, you can stretch lots further while warm but that doesn't mean you should push too hard. Stretch to where you notice you're stretching.) If you're familiar with yoga at all, I would also recommend some kind of vinyasa/power/flow yoga--basically a lot of sun salutations in a row, starting out slow (just arms x3, then arms plus a small flat-back forward bend x3, etc., when doing the forward bends all the way, go with your back flat as far as possible). Doing about 30 or 45 minutes of that stuff, once a week (part of a class), made a noticeable difference for me very quickly.
posted by anaelith at 1:36 PM on April 3, 2007

I used to get massages at the University Pain Center. It's been years, so I can't recommend any one therapist. It was very PT, not candle-and-whale-songy.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:27 PM on April 3, 2007

Don't know NYC, but search for one who teaches active-isolated stretching. It's pure magic.
posted by callmejay at 1:37 PM on April 4, 2007