Sports massage is a type of soft tissue therapy that improves flexibility, endurance, and supports optimal performance while reducing fatigue and helping to prevent injuries. As an essential component of a balanced training regimen, sports massage targets areas of the body that are involved in a particular physical activity and exposed to intensive forces and repetitive stresses. By applying the principles of dynamic stretching, sports massage can be used as part of a training program in preparation for an event or competition as well as afterwards to reduce soreness and muscle recovery time.