Athlete's Corner
Self-Massage for Athletes

A massage maintenance program to keep an athlete pain, illness and injury free might be one session a month lasting one to two hours. Athletes recovering from an injury, or training at high volume and/or intensity will find greater benefit with increased frequency (i.e. 2-4 sessions per month). If time or budget prohibits athletes from receiving professional massage, a self-massage routine is essential.

Warm up, massage, train, stretch, massage, ice, and rest, in that order. Simply compressing a muscle with both hands for 1-2 minutes before or after a workout will flush some blood out, and speed a fresh supply of nutrients to the tissues. Cupping your hands and tapping, or making loose fists and lightly pounding (especially effective on quads) helps loosen the muscles.

There are many products designed to help with self-massage. Tennis balls (or golf balls) work great for feet and glutes. "The Stick" is perfect for legs and IT band (you can buy one at Marathon Sports). The "Back Knobber" will help you reach trigger points in your back and can be purchased through Quantum Massage Works.

When performed correctly, it is not possible to receive too much massage! Your muscles will be less sore and perform better if you give them a little extra attention during your marathon training. Talk to Becca and Scott for individualized self-massage techniques. Train hard, train smart. Rest even harder and smarter.