The massage stick, WHAT IS IT?
At first glance, the massage stick seems like an odd piece of essential gear for athletes. It looks like a cross between the typical rolling pin your grandmother may have used and some sort of Oriental Kung Fu weapon. To the uninitiated, it is a rod of hard space-age plastic with grooved handles on each end and independent spindles. In a sense it is a rolling pin but rather than reshaping dough, the massage stick is designed to knead, roll and manipulate the sore muscles that all runners experience.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
There are at least 10 different models of the massage stick, with three of the most popular models for sale here. They include the Original, Marathon and the Sprinter stick. It works on sore & tired muscles as a tool to prevent injuries. Sore and tight muscles are at the root of most muscular injuries. After long, hard workouts, muscles can not knot up in clusters of excessive lactic acid and other waste products. Ideally, a massage specialist could knead out these sore spots and while I am a Massage Therapist and would love for you to come and see me on a daily basis, few of us (including me) can afford a daily or weekly massage.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
By rolling the massage stick over these tired, overworked muscles after exercise, it removes lactic acid build up and reduces pain and soreness through this form of self-massage. Doing so also allows for quicker recovery because this form of self-massage reduces some of the tightness and allows for better blood flow which helps the body heal itself faster. It's easy to use and the price of the different models vary from $80 on down. It's waterproof and comes with a 90-day customer satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty which is somewhat superfluous since they can't break. To use The massage stick, simply get on the floor, grip each handle and massage your tired leg muscles by rolling them with The massage stick. Do this slowly and with enough force so that it actually rolls and kneads the muscles. The massage stick works best when there isn't anything between it and the muscles so if you were wearing tights or sweatpants while exercising, remove them first before using The massage stick.
ANY SPECIAL MASSAGE ROUTINE?
While there isn't any single best way to use the massage stick, a good routine begins by rolling the bottom of the feet to prevent plantar fascia soreness, then, while sitting up, roll the calf muscles and soleus. Work your way up the torso and go deep into the quadriceps and hip flexors muscles. These are usually quite tender after a long, hard run, but since the muscles are so thick, you can exert plenty of pressure as you roll back and forth. Finally, comes the hamstrings. These, too, are often sore and tight from exercise. Lie on your back and roll back and forth along the entire hamstring muscles. Go slowly, but deep. But don't go too deep that it becomes painful. If it does, back off. You can also massage your lower back by bringing The massage stick behind you at your buttocks, but it's difficult to go very high on the spine without some assistance. For an effective massage, get into a child's pose with your head touching the floor and your spine rolled downward. Have a friend roll your spine with The massage stick.
DOES IT HURT?
Like any massage, you will feel some pain during self massage. However, work within your own limits. A good scale to keep to is 6-8 out of 10. You may experience some residual soreness the following day after using The massage stick for the first time. That's normal. But you will quickly grow accustomed to it and find the right pressure for you. Make it a part of your daily post-exercise stretching routine and it will pay off with more flexible, pliant muscles, quicker recovery and fewer injuries.
Where can I get one?
You will want to have a look at the three most popular Massage Sticks for sale on my website.
Pat Rae is a Health Wellness and Life Performance Coach, a qualified Personal Trainer, a mentor to Personal Trainers, a professional Public Speaker, a freestyle cycle instructor, a Rugby Union Referee Coach, a budding Massage Therapist, and a Dog Trainer. You can check out my blog at PatRae.com
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