GAVIN THORN
I am a member of The Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) and have been massaging since 1990. I currently practice in; reflexology, aromatherapy, Indian head massage, body massage, remedial massage, sports massage, rehabilitation of sporting/non-sporting injuries in both acute and chronic stages, postural analysis and bio-mechanical assessments.
Having been a former Mr. Wigan bodybuilding champion and a competitive bodybuilder at national level in the late 1990’s I have gained extensive knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and nutrition and as a qualified and practicing Holistic and Sports Therapy Practitioner I have helped many athletes to achieve their best in whatever sport they participate in. This could be in the form of having a massage, rehabilitation of an injury, introduction of a stretching routine, improvements on a weight training programme or provide an overhaul of their daily diet which could be for weight maintenance, weight gain or weight loss because the correct food and time of ingestion is essential in helping you get the best out of yourself.
During my bodybuilding years I found that if I wanted to train and compete to the best of my ability I had to make certain sacrifices in my lifestyle, i.e., not going to the pub or late nights at clubs etc., in my endeavour to succeed at a competitive level I was happy with. I studied books, magazines and asked other top bodybuilders for information of what I could incorporate into my training routines and eating regime. This worked well for me and culminated by standing on stage with some of the country’s very best amateur bodybuilders at the E.F.B.B. British Bodybuilding Championships, which gave me a tremendous sense of self-achievement.
But I just wonder how much better I could have been by introducing certain additional elements into my routine by having a regular massage, which would undoubtedly have had a beneficial effect on shortening my recuperation time between training sessions by helping to flush out waste products and to give me a calming psychological and physiological effect. Although massage can help in the rehabilitation of most injuries it is an extremely underestimated form of injury prevention treatment. It also helps to encourage a good night’s sleep by relaxing the nervous system which would be beneficial to everyone.
If you feel you have reached a plateau in your sport but would like to continue to make improvements then maybe it’s time to take advantage of one or more of the above modalities and see what advantages you can achieve.
Gavin Thorn MHFST MICHT IIHHT IIST