Star Football Player Spends Big Bucks on Massages
Great article about the benefits of massage from a star football player.
NFL Linebacker James Harrison told the media he spends about $500,000 on training, massage and other body work.
In his first media appearance as a Cincinnati Bengal, Harrison told the press his body is a moneymaker, and he’ll do whatever he needs to do to stay healthy and perform at his peak.
“My body is what helps me to make money,” Harrison told Forbes. “Whatever there is that I need to do to try and make myself better or get myself healthy, I’m going to do it. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that I spend anywhere between $400,000-$600,000 on body work, as far as taking care of my body, year-in and year-out
While the money he spends may seem excessive, it’s only 5.5 percent of his salary. The rough-and-tumble player brought in nine million dollars last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harrison isn’t the only athlete touting the necessity of massage. Considering the beating athletes can take during a game, massage is great way to reverse some of the damage done on the field.
An increasing number of sports teams are hiring massage therapists to travel with the team. A massage therapist can keep an athlete loose before game, ease sore muscles after big plays and use techniques to treat injuries afterwards. Studies indicate a massage can improve flexibility, increase range of motion and decrease stress, which explains why it is becoming a valuable asset to athletic teams.
