Clermont is a training town. The hills, the clay roads and the trail along Lake Minneola bring out runners, cyclists and triathletes year round. All that mileage builds fitness. It also builds tightness, and usually in the same few places.
Where endurance athletes get tight
Hips. Running and cycling both keep the hips working in a narrow range. Hip flexors shorten, and stride length tends to go with them.
Calves and ankles. Thousands of foot strikes add up. Stiff ankles change how the whole leg takes load.
Hamstrings and lower back. Hours in the aero position, or at a desk after a morning run, leave the back of the body tight.
Shoulders and upper back. Swimmers need overhead reach. Cyclists spend hours rounded forward. Triathletes get both.
What fascia stretch therapy adds
Stretching on your own after a run helps, but it only reaches what you can reach yourself. In a session, you lie on the table fully clothed while your therapist moves each leg, hip and shoulder through its range with gentle traction. You relax and the work is done for you.
The focus is the fascia, the connective tissue running through and between your muscles, so a session follows whole lines of the body instead of one muscle at a time. The aim is an easier stride, hips that open again and less stiffness after hard days.
Results vary from person to person, and stretch therapy is not a substitute for medical care if something is injured.
When to schedule around training
Easy or rest days. The best time for a full 60 or 90-minute session.
Race week. Keep it light and a few days out. Race week is not the time to try anything new.
After a race. Give your body a few days, then come in once the soreness has settled.
For more on timing, read how often you should get stretched.
Built for athletes, open to everyone
Danylle Almas is a licensed massage therapist and Level 2 Fascia Stretch Therapist who works with professional athletes. You do not need to be one to book. If you run, ride or swim around Clermont, your body is doing enough to earn the upkeep.
Next step: get on the table
Pick an easy day in your training week and book a session. Wear what you would wear to train.
