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Endurance athletes who take part in marathons, triathlons or century bike rides typically have fitness goals of strength and stamina. Your body needs to be strong enough to carry you long distances, and it needs to have the proper training in order to function for extended periods of time.

Before a race it’s crucial to plan a training program to prepare, and most of this will include running or cycling through intervals of faster and slower speeds, up and down hills and longer and shorter distances. It should also include cross training with strength exercises and core workouts such as Pilates for total body training.

Another factor that should be included in a pre-race program is athletic recovery and stretching. Whether you’re a new or seasoned endurance athlete, you’ll be putting your body through more intense challenges, which is sure to leave you with sore muscles from time to time, but it can also increase your risk of injury. To prevent getting hurt and having a setback, you need to take the proper precautions, which include stretching and massage.

There are few things worse than being in the middle of a run, whether it’s a long or short distance, and having your foot cramp up. This often requires that you stop and maybe even remove your shoe to provide relief to your sore muscles.

If you had a high level of motivation or were in the middle of a really great, efficient run, needing to stop can derail these sensations and throw you mentally and physically off track. Runners who are preparing for a 5K, half-marathon, marathon or triathlon may be worried that constant foot cramps will prohibit them from sticking to their training schedule or from being successful in crossing the finish line in the time they were working toward.

There are plenty of reasons that foot cramps occur, including chronic conditions like plantar fasciitis, shoes that are worn out or too tight, dehydration or pointing your toes too much.

Whether you’re a professional athlete, a bodybuilder or a weekend warrior, you know that you put your body and mind through many challenges as you work toward your goals. Because of this, it’s imperative that you take care of yourself with athletic recovery and proper nutrition.

There’s a good chance that part of your training program includes ample amounts of stretching and self massage to provide neck, leg, feet and back pain relief.

It’s also important to know that even the most trained athlete can experience a problem with muscle imbalance. If you are using improper form while completing an exercise, get injured or are returning from time off, your muscle strength may at different levels throughout your body. Because of this, some muscles may overcompensate for the lack of ability in others, which leads to imbalance and other complications. Whether you’re a professional athlete or just enjoy working out on the weekend, this is a good thing to be aware of so you can correct any imbalances.

There a variety of different types of massage that are suited to different needs. People who want to relax and relieve stress may find that a Swedish (or relaxation) massage is the best option, while sports performers and weekend warriors may need some athletic recovery massage moves. For this, a deep tissue massage should be their first choice.

There’s a third popular massage type that offers many benefits as well: trigger point massage.