So as many of you may already know, foam rollers are great for stretching muscles, I use them on my quads, glutes, hamstrings, calfs, and back. I have heard (and read) conflicting advice about relief of it band issues, and weather or not to roll out the it band (outside of your leg). When it comes to the knee pain due to it band flair ups, which a vast amount of time are due to issues in your glute, having a rippling effect on you leg. When that happens a lacrosse ball works wonders, just roll it around looking for that knot. This method can be used all over the body, if you are new to this idea, it will be painful, and you can try starting off with a tennis ball. And with other areas that are hard to reach with such a big tool, try a golf ball, it too can do wonders in relieving knots. (As i am figuring out with my calf) Golf balls also work great on the foot to relieve any pain. I have found that two tennis balls placed under the hips for an extended period of time, can move the hips back, which can also be a common problem when running. This technique I used I got from my massage therapist, I highly recommend finding a good one, and make it a monthly trip, if I did not do that every month, I would not be able to walk, and I would be decrepit. Before attempting serious things like pushing your hips back, or other techniques, I highly recommend talking to a trainer or massage therapist. They can describe methods much better than I could, in this blog. The great thing about these balls is they are incredibly cheap, for less than 5 buck you can get a lacrosse ball, for 3 to 5 bucks you can get a 3 pack of tennis balls, golf balls also not that much (I found one in the woods). You can get them at any sporting goods store, and they are in my race day bag for every race, just in case. The foam roller you can get for about 10 bucks online and again worth it. I also use the recovery stick, under 20, ans there are dozens of types of rolling relievers on the market. They can also help get through muscles and relieve stress. Do not buy into the hype that any product can give myofasha release, trust me, I have been getting myofasha massages for about 6 years, and played around with various recovery tools. I do not believe that you can replicate that kind of massage. If you prefer cold, everybody knows about the cold packs that can be used on muscles. But did you know you can keep a small water bottle in your freezer for your feet? You can use it to relieve pain from the bottom of your foot or arch. So if anything I would love for people to take away from this is that you do not need fancy and expensive gadgets to get the job done, every body is going to have a fancier recovery tool. But you can very easily replicate it.
Until next time
Keep training
Stephen
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