I can only imagine the number of you out there who put in about as many hours in your vegetable garden—or flower garden—as you do in your 9 to 5 job.

Some of you may have signed up for your company softball team or neighborhood volleyball team or a soccer team with a group of your friends. Maybe you started a swimming regimen, a jogging regimen, or simply a quick-paced walking regimen.

Or how about this: You haven’t really done much in the way of more-than-usual body exertion for yourself, but the kids—now home for summer vacation—keep you on your toes. Swim team, softball team, soccer team—name a team—and you are the lucky mom or dad who gets to cart them from house to field.

Admit it. You realized on or about Day 2 of your noble sports adventures that your calves and thighs may not be as willing as the initial excitement of your spirit. Not to mention that you master gardeners have awakened the ire of your lower backs. And as for you car-seat soccer coaches, what about the stress of rearranging schedules so that everyone gets to where they need to be? What about that place where your shoulders and neck meet? What about that headache at the base of your skull?

Maybe some of you are prize-winning summer over-achievers, and you can claim being part of more than one category above. And now you wonder if it’s all worth it.

Well, before you throw in the towel, take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back for braving sore muscles and holding on to your dream of better health—better garden, better kids, better anything.

And as for that ‘pat yourself on the back’ thing, maybe you tried to do that only to find you’re too sore to scratch your head. What to do? The solution is simple. Read on.

If sore muscles are the unwelcome (but typical) problem of some summer pursuits, then a massage is the welcome (and potentially the just-as-typical) solution. Remember that sore back and those sore legs? How about the shoulders and upper arms? They ‘go away’ much faster when your masseur works his wonderful magic on said sore places.

One concern you may have is thinking perhaps your masseur will not be able to work those sorest of sore muscles. That’s where he is open to communication, listening carefully as you ask him to focus where the muscles need deeper work. Your massage therapist is well trained to find specific places that are most annoying, so don’t worry about not getting the point across.

But I suspect your number one thought is this: Massage therapy sounds magically alluring, but I don’t have time to really give in to it. You may be surprised to find how flexible time is for the massage therapist. Business hours are flexible; some going as far as several hours after the typical work and play day is over. Some may take into consideration your schedule and work around it, keeping hours available on Saturdays or the entire weekend. Some therapists may make house calls, but most have a safe place set up for the massage to be a totally satisfying experience.

Ultimately, you want your summer to go as smooth as possible. It is summer after all, and we all want to enjoy it. There is nothing that says ‘enjoy’ more than an hour or hour and a half of bliss you give your sore muscles. You owe it to them. After all, they work hard to keep your dream going of toning up and slimming down or keeping up that cardio work out for a healthier heart. So why not reward them?

Where to find your masseur is as simple as visiting a web site dedicated to matching you with the perfect therapist. Findamasseur.com is an excellent resource to finding the closest massage therapist who is waiting for you to contact him, and the sooner you make that small step, the sooner you’ll be able to hit that softball out of the park. Your body will thank you as much as your fans in the bleachers

Author's Bio: 

Joseph Holmes, a freelance writer of more than twenty years, is currently a staff writer for FindAMasseur.com. He grew up in the rural Deep South of the Mississippi Delta. Somewhere along the way, he acquired a couple of degrees from Louisiana State University. He thinks they're in a box in the attic.