You don't have to be a professional athlete to benefit from this type of massage!

A sports massage sounds like something professional athletes like Venus Williams or Lance Armstrong might need after a grueling competition. But you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to benefit from this type of massage therapy.

Sports massage is deep muscle massage using moderate pressure. This type of therapy can work to prevent injuries, help you prepare for an upcoming walk or race or recover more quickly following strenuous exercise.

It’s not uncommon to find tents equipped with massage chairs and tables on site at sporting events such as 5Ks or marathons. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, says sports massage before an athletic event can help enhance your performance, while post-event massage relieves sore muscles.

“Usually therapists will ask if there’s a particular part of the body they need to focus on,” says Field. “For instance, if someone is experiencing leg pain, they’ll focus on the legs; if they’re having pain in their lower back, they’ll focus on that area.” Upper body massage may help those who engage in throw sports or swimming, while lower body massage may be better for runners or cyclists.

But how exactly does sports massage work? Field says the moderate pressure applied during sports massage stimulates the body’s pressure receptors.

This is important for a number of reasons, she says. “Sports massage helps reduce the number of cytokines (cells that cause inflammation) and, in turn, reduces inflammation,” she says. “Stimulating the pressure receptors also slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure and decreases the stress hormone cortisol, which kills immune cells.”

Field says decreasing cortisol helps increase your body’s immune cells that kill viral, bacterial and cancer cells. And, as with any type of massage, sports massage is helpful in keeping joints loose and reducing inflammation.

Next time you pass by the massage tent at your neighborhood 5K, stop in for a sports massage. You may improve your performance time and boost your body’s immune system.