Massage is a wonderful thing for recovery, and if you have ever had a professional one performed on you then you know exactly what I’m saying. However, a lot of us either don’t have the time or the money to regularly see a masseuse, and so in today’s recovery tip I’ll detail self-massage, which can be just as effective if done properly.
Massage increases the flow of lymph, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, stimulates the immune system, improves sleep, temporarily lowers blood pressure and pulse, and relieves pain both through the release of endorphins and from a reduction in inflammation.
Self massage isn’t as odd as you might first imagine. It’s instinctual, as what is one of the things you always feel like doing with sore muscles? You rub them. Since most self massage is pretty intuitive, I wont go into detail about such things as rubbing your neck. There are some pointers though that ought to come in handy for athletic folks. Deep tissue massage is the best form when it comes to recovery, and so when you massage yourself it’s always better to press hard. Use the ball of your hand, finger tips, & fists and don’t be afraid of being too aggressive. You can also use your elbows for such bodyparts as forearms and especially quads.
For those of you who are confused as to where to start, here is my typical routine beginning usually after a contrast shower but before my post workout meal:
1) Start with the feet. Place your thumbs on top, and your fingertips underneath using two hands per foot, and work backwards towards your heel. After running, I find it even more relaxing for my arches if I put all the pressure I can exert with my fingers into the ball of my foot and slide them down towards the heel.
2) Ankles & Calves - First starting with your fingertips in a kneading type motion working down from the knee, and then slide the ball of your hands towards your knee. Then, using the knuckles of your thumbs, massage your calf starting from the base of your Achilles tendon.
3) Thighs - Workone side of your quads at a time with both hands, using your elbow if necessary to achieve the pressure required to really relax them. Then use the knuckles of your thumbs to work the underside, extending up also to & including your glutes.
4) Lower back - I find it helps to start with one hand at a time, using the right hand for the right side, etc. Using the right as an example, support yourself with your left arm and lean, stretching out your right half. Use your fingers & thumb in a pinching motion to massage your sides, and the fingers (or knuckles if you aren’t flexible enough) to massage as far up your back as possible. Do the other side, and then sit up straight and with both hands palm down on your lower back, work up both sides starting from deep down your spine and up to your ribs.
5) Abs - Lie flat on your back or simply arch backwards, and using whichever part of your hand works best for you, work your way down from your sternal notch towards your pelic area.
6) Shoulders/Chest/Upper back - This should come naturally to most of us. I prefer to start with my neck and work up to where the muscles join the base of my skull using my thumbs with a kneading motion. I then, one shoulder at a time, use my hands to knead each shoulder starting on top, then raising the arm and continuing down my lats. Do your pecs by grabbing onto the muscle where it extends into your armpit and kneading it, then using your fingertips do the surface of your chest, and extend up your neck to your chin.
7) I save the arms for second to last as they can get quite fatigued just through massage. Start by kneading your bicep, then work down to your forearm. Use your fingertips and with quite a bit of pressure, run them up from your wrist to your elbow on all sides.
Face & then hands. I include my face as it helps relax my entire body. This is especially useful if you are following up with a nap. Use your imagination here, and do what works for you. I find my jaw muscles are especially tense after a workout, and so I pay specially attention to them. Then I knead my hands using the finger and thumb of the opposing hand, doing each digit individually as well.
Now that you’re done, drink plenty of water even if you’re having a PWO shake. Read a book, listen to music or do whatever relaxes you.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s tip!
May 15, 2008 at 17:59:50
Nice post, you’re right self-massage is an extremely powerful tool for athletes. If we could get more Olympic athletes to practice it, I bet we’d have a lot more gold medals. Actually, there would be the same number of gold medals, they’d just go to the athletes who used self-massage. Have you ever tried the Backnobber II self-massage tool?