DNA performance Sports massage

19/01/2026

👋🏻🙌🏻

15/01/2026

The new website is now live and starting to take shape - It now has a new address www.marthamorganphotography.com

Its still in the early stages but will continue to be bulit over the next few weeks and months so please bare with us.

I'd like to this opportunity to thank everyone for their support.

14/01/2026

With a huge imminent vet bill for my boy, please can I ask that all unpaid invoices are settled ASAP.

I am lenient and understanding but some invoices are now months overdue and I will have to enlist further legal action to get what I am owed.

I don't want to have to start charging upfront at time of booking but if this continues I will have to as I simply cannot afford to work for free.

Sorry to be grumpy but it's a very big bill and I need all the pennies I can get!! 😭

14/01/2026

It’s another leg of the journey completed for ✅

Josh just received his certificate for successfully passing his Level 2 Fitness Instructor assessments & we couldn’t be more proud ☺️

The future is bright- Rock on Josh!🤝👏👏👏❤️🖤

10/01/2026

🌿 After Your Sports Massage: Recommended Aftercare

1. Hydrate well
Drink plenty of water over the next 24 hours. Massage increases circulation and lymphatic flow, helping flush metabolic waste from the muscles—hydration supports this process.

2. Gentle movement is beneficial
Light walking, stretching, or mobility work helps keep tissues supple and prevents stiffness. Avoid intense training for 24 hours unless advised otherwise.

3. Expect mild soreness
It’s normal to feel tender for 24–48 hours, especially after deeper work. This is a natural inflammatory response as muscle fibres repair and adapt.

4. Heat or ice (if needed)
• Heat can help relax tight muscles
• Ice may reduce inflammation if areas feel irritated
Use for 10–15 minutes depending on what feels most appropriate for your body.

5. Eat to support recovery
A balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates supports muscle repair and replenishes energy stores.

6. Prioritise rest and sleep
Recovery happens when you rest. Massage can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, so deeper sleep is common and encouraged.

09/01/2026

Here’s a brief overview of what I can offer 👉🏻

1️⃣ Pre-event Sports Massage

When: Before training or competition
Purpose: Prepare the body for performance

What it focuses on:
• Increasing blood flow and tissue temperature
• Stimulating (not relaxing) the nervous system
• Improving mobility and readiness

Techniques used:
Fast, rhythmic strokes, compression, dynamic stretching
(No deep work — the aim is activation, not relaxation)

⸻

2️⃣ Post-event Sports Massage

When: Immediately after competition or hard training
Purpose: Aid recovery

What it helps with:
• Reducing muscle soreness (DOMS)
• Clearing metabolic waste
• Calming the nervous system

Techniques used:
Flushing strokes, light-to-moderate pressure, gentle stretching

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3️⃣ Maintenance / Regular Sports Massage

When: Ongoing, during training blocks
Purpose: Keep the body functioning optimally

What it addresses:
• Muscle imbalances
• Overuse patterns
• Reduced range of motion
• Injury prevention

Techniques used:
Mixed pressure work, trigger point therapy, myofascial release

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4️⃣ Rehabilitative Sports Massage

When: During injury recovery (in conjunction with physio)
Purpose: Support healing and restore function

What it helps with:
• Scar tissue management
• Improving circulation to healing tissues
• Reducing compensatory tension elsewhere in the body

Techniques used:
Specific, targeted work; slower and more precise techniques

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5️⃣ Deep Tissue Sports Massage

When: For chronic tension or long-standing tightness
Purpose: Release deeper layers of muscle and fascia

What it’s useful for:
• Persistent knots
• Restricted movement
• Postural or workload-related tension

Techniques used:
Slow strokes, sustained pressure, elbow/forearm work
(Deep doesn’t mean painful — it should always be tolerable and purposeful)

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6️⃣ Myofascial Release

Purpose: Address restrictions in the fascial system

Why it matters:
Fascia connects the whole body — restrictions can affect movement far from the site of pain.

Techniques used:
Slow, sustained pressure and stretch to allow tissue adaptation

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7️⃣ Trigger Point Therapy

Purpose: Deactivate hyper-irritable spots within muscles

What it helps with:
• Referred pain
• Local tenderness
• Reduced strength or mobility

Techniques used:
Direct pressure, ischemic compression, release techniques

09/01/2026

❄️ Winter tension, low energy & lingering colds? Sports massage can help — and the science backs it up. ❄️

Cold weather naturally causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing circulation to muscles and joints. This can lead to stiffness, slower recovery, and that heavy, sluggish winter feeling.

Sports massage works by:
🧠 Increasing circulation — manual pressure and rhythmic strokes increase blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues while helping remove metabolic waste (Tiidus, 1997).

🦠 Supporting the immune system — massage has been shown to stimulate lymphatic flow, helping the body clear waste products and support immune response, which can be beneficial when fighting or recovering from colds (Field et al., 2010).

🫁 Improving breathing mechanics — releasing tension through the chest, ribs, neck and upper back can improve thoracic mobility, allowing deeper, more efficient breathing.

💪 Reducing muscle tightness & pain — massage decreases muscle tone and helps break down adhesions, improving range of motion and reducing discomfort, particularly in cold, inactive muscles.

🌿 Lifting the winter blues — studies show massage can lower cortisol (stress hormone) and increase serotonin and dopamine, contributing to improved mood and reduced anxiety (Field, 2005).

Massage isn’t just about relaxation — it’s a physiological reset that helps your body move, breathe, and recover more effectively during the toughest months of the year.

✨ Look after your body this winter — it’s working hard for you ✨

06/01/2026

Freshly printed ❤️

02/01/2026

Rounding out 2025 with immense gratitude to our Team!✨❤️🖤

It’s not easy delivering what they deliver, 12-16 hours a day, 364 days a year. Early mornings/late nights/weekends, cleaning/maintenance, hosting classes, programming, encouraging those who’ve wandering off track back into the fold, ‘being there’- listening/advising/praising, behind the scenes administration work…this Team does it all & does it well!🤝

Thank YOU to all the current Team & those who played any part in 2025 👏👏👏❤️🖤

31/12/2025

28/12/2025

🐎 Professional vs Amateur Muscle Recruitment — and Why Sports Massage Matters 💪🧠

Dressage performance isn’t about how much muscle you use — it’s about which muscles you recruit, when, and how efficiently.

🔬 What the science shows:
Research in biomechanics and motor control consistently demonstrates that elite riders recruit deep stabilising muscles first, while amateur riders tend to over-activate larger, superficial muscles.

Professional riders typically:
• Use deep core stabilisers (transversus abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor)
• Maintain low-level, sustained muscle tone
• Show efficient timing and symmetry
• Move with minimal visible effort

Amateur riders often:
• Over-recruit glutes, hip flexors, quads, and upper back
• Brace for stability rather than support
• Accumulate unnecessary tension
• Fatigue quickly and compensate

📊 Where sports massage fits in

Chronic over-recruitment leads to:
❌ Tight hip flexors blocking the seat
❌ Overactive glutes restricting pelvis mobility
❌ Thoracic and shoulder tension affecting rein connection
❌ Asymmetry that the horse must compensate for

Sports massage helps by:
✔️ Reducing tone in overactive superficial muscles
✔️ Improving tissue glide and joint freedom
✔️ Restoring symmetry left to right
✔️ Allowing deep stabilisers to switch on effectively
✔️ Enhancing proprioception and body awareness

💡 Why massage improves riding — not just comfort

When excess tension is removed:
• The nervous system can refine muscle sequencing
• The rider can stabilise without gripping
• The seat becomes quieter
• Aids become lighter and more precise
• The horse moves more freely through the back

🧠 Elite riding isn’t created by forcing strength
It’s built by:
• Efficient muscle recruitment
• Nervous system clarity
• Freedom where movement is needed
• Stability where it matters

✨ Sports massage doesn’t make you ride better —
it removes the physical barriers that stop you riding well.

Your body sets the tone.
Your horse feels the difference.

Tyler Bradshaw Martha Morgan Photography

28/12/2025

My diary availability this week is

Monday - Exeter - full
Tuesday - 3pm / 4pm / 5pm
Wednesday - 1pm / 2pm / 3pm / 4pm
Thursday - 3pm / 4pm / 5pm
Friday - 3pm
Saturday - 3pm / 4pm
Sunday - open

For bookings, please send a message. Please note that all times may be subject to change due to travel schedules. Thank you! 😊