Let’s Welcome Nayda Martinez to the MissionFiT Team!
Need a massage? Welcome Nayda Martinez to the rescue!
Beginning in January 2021, MissionFiT athletes will get to know Nayda Martinez and her “handy” skills. Nayda (pronounced Ny-dah) became interested in using massage as a tool for healing a little later in life.
Nayda’s Story 
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Nayda participated in track and field all through school as well as in college. After college, Nayda enlisted in the military, serving our country for 25 years before retiring.
From Military to Missionary
After military service, Nayda served in Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica for a little over one year. As a missionary, she worked with orphans and victims of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. It was this experience Nayda learned “how the physical body was connected with emotion”. So as one is emotionally injured, the scars left behind show up in the body in various forms. Nayda’s passion was born.
Healing Hands
After seeing how so many youngsters hurt by others hands, Nayda decided to learn to use her hands as a vehicle for God’s healing to take place in people. So she studied massage. Nayda describes massage as a tool “for all” and a “complement” to other forms of healing techniques, such as physical therapy.
So, What Is Massage?
If you recall, “mobilize” is the term Coach K uses to remind athletes to use Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) prior to warming up or working out. SMR techniques, like using mobility balls or foam rollers, help release the tissue around the muscle, allowing the muscle to move more freely, giving the athlete a better range of motion.
Nayda describes massage as “manual manipulation of muscle tissue”. The Mayo Clinic sites many benefits of massage including relief from:
- Anxiety
- Digestive disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Insomnia related to stress
However, Nayda also explains massage differs from body work. Body work is the umbrella term that includes massage. As well, body work is used as a technique to assess and improve posture. And, as we discover in the garage, poor posture can limit our ability to complete exercises properly and become the cause of nagging pain.
Provider and Educator
Nayda also wants to educate those she serves, offering tips and tricks to help keep athletes in tip top shape. Even Coach K las learned a few new things about massage from Nayda. Watch for upcoming videos and information about massage, body work and best practices on the MissionFiT blog.
