Top Requested Massage Areas. Saffron Walden Sports Massage

The 3 Areas Everyone Asks Me to Fix (And Why They’re Always Tight)

If you asked me what people come in for most, the answer’s pretty predictable.

Not shoulders. Not arms. Not anything obscure.

It’s almost always the same three areas:

Different people, different lifestyle but the same problem spots.

So what’s going on?

1. The back: doing more than it should

The big one..

Upper back, lower back, sometimes both in the same session.

Most people assume their back is the problem. But in reality, it’s often the victim.

Your back ends up overworking when other areas aren’t pulling their weight.

• Sitting all day → hips tighten, glutes "switch off"

• Poor posture → upper back compensates

• Weak core → lower back takes the load

  
  

So what happens?

Your back muscles stay “on” all day, trying to keep you upright and stable.And eventually, they don’t switch off.

That constant low-level tension is what people feel as tightness.

People then go from sitting all day into sports of heavy gym sessions and end up in a world of pain.

2. Calves: the silent over workers

Calves... small but requested daily..

People don’t think about them until they’re tight & giving you hell on each run..

Your calves are working all the time:

• walking

• standing

• training

• even just balancing

If you’re active, they’re taking repeated load. If you’re inactive, they stiffen up from lack of movement.

Add things like:

• poor ankle mobility

• unsupportive footwear

• running or gym training

• Serious over use

…and they end up overworked and under-recovered.

Runners...you guys have awful calves. Sorry. I can't express how important it is to give them good recovery & decent strength training, otherwise your stiffness will keep coming back

Hamstrings: stuck between two problems

Hamstrings are interesting, because they’re often blamed—but not always the real issue.

A lot of people think: "I need to stretch my hamstrings more.”

But what I often see is this:

• hips aren’t moving well

• glutes aren’t doing enough & never really trained

• lower back is over-involved

  
  

So the hamstrings sit in the middle, picking up extra work.

They end up feeling tight not just because they’re shortened, but because they’re overloaded and constantly under tension.

That’s why stretching them doesn’t always fix it. From sitting down all day at a desk to suddenly driving from work to run is a serious shock to them! If you are a runner, gym users, tennis player or just a tight person, book in a Sports Massage in Saffron Walden at Apex Recovery Room. Having a regular deep tissue and sports massage can really help.