A Routine to Massage Your Legs With “The Stick”.

Here is a video I recorded on how to massage your legs using The Stick.   I am using the Travel Stick while I roll out my legs.  The Travel Stick has a standard flexibility and is short, making it ideal for travel.

The Travel Stick

The different models of Sticks can be found here. 

 

What is “The Stick”? A Video From Tim Borland

Here is a fantastic video from Tim Borland speaking about what The Stick is and how it works.

Tim does a great job speaking about his top 3 reasons for using The Stick:

1. Injury Prevention
2. Recovery
3. Performance

 

Popular Comments About The Marathon Stick.

Here is a blog entry I found from Massage Therapy Supplies about the Marathon Stick!

 

 

Product Description
The Stick Marathon Stick. The Stick is a non-motorized device that is composed of a semi-rigid core around which independent, 1 inch spindles freely spin. This instrument was engineered to assist health-care providers in the deep manipulation of soft tissues such as muscle. Measuring 20 with 10 spindles, this model was made popular by world-class distance runners. Most flexible of the small models, it is preferred for those with lean muscle mass.

Customer Reviews

If you run, it’s worth every penny! (2009-04-24)
I’ve already recommended it to all my friends who run. I can’t afford to get professional massages all the time, but this is 50% as good for way less cost Couldn’t be happier.

Practical and Effective (2009-03-28)
I cycle 4 times a week, for at least 2 hours each time. My leg muscles, particularly the hamstrings, get very tight and often sore. “The Stick” has been very effective at loosening up the tightness and reducing soreness. It’s a simple gadjet, easy to use, and easier than using my fingers for massage. I use it every day, often more than one session. I can feel the difference when I cycle, much less stiffness and pain.

Best Pain You’ll Ever Love! Get one! (2009-03-05)
I recently started training for my first marathon, and I learned immediately about “the stick.” Apparently, I was one of the few that DIDN’T know about this amazing product. Most people write “love” on one side and “hate” on the other side of the stick. The stick definitely gives you a chance to dig in a massage any muscle, bringing blood flow back to the muscle to heal it. It really is so nice to get a massage after running.

Just an FYI, the yellow handle stick is great for those beginning out in the sport. It’s a little more flexible and the length a tad bit longer than some of the professional lengths. I highly recommend it!

handy gadget! (2009-02-17)
i like this self-massager because it is portable and easy to use. It is perfect for those of us whose muscles are usually tender and need just light massage to benefit.

also great for swimmers (2009-01-09)
I am a college swimmer, and my coach has a few of these on deck that are available for use post-practice. The stick is great for working out leg cramps, but I also use it on my shoulders, neck, and back. I find that this particular model of the stick is the best match for massaging body parts other than my legs (esp. shoulders) due to its flexibility. This is a great buy for any athlete.

For more testimonials from people I have met go here.

 

 

The Stick As a Recovery Tool Part 2

To fully understand muscle recovery whether it is work related, induced by training and/or exercise or even from a medical condition, we first need to discuss muscles as compliant and non-compliant.

We will first start with a discussion of compliant muscle. Muscles that are compliant can be shortened, stretched, compressed and twisted without symptoms of soreness or pain. They will exhibit flexibility, strength, good circulation, and the qualities of endurance.

Let’s switch our focus to the qualities of a non-compliant muscle.  Non-compliant tissue is tight, stiff and tender.  People often refer to this type of sensation as having painful “knots” in their muscles. Their muscles actually feels fibrous instead of long, lean and smooth.  Non-compliant muscles exhibit reduced flexibility, weakness, poor blood circulation and they easily fatigue.  A non-compliant muscle or group of muscles create barriers which restrict peak performance and blood flow.  These, non-compliant muscles are susceptible to injury because they are not functioning properly. In order for the body to perform at optimum levels, muscles must me allowed to expand and contract freely.

The human body contains approximately 690 muscle bellies and tendons. Each muscle has an origin and an insertion.  The rule of thumb is the origin is where the muscle attaches to bone and the least amount of movement takes place.  Whereas the insertion of a muscle is the opposite end of the muscle that attaches to bone where the most movement takes place.  Here is a great website for muscle origins and insertions. 

Now that we have some basic understanding of compliant and non-compliant muscles, there are some tough questions to answer:

• Why are some muscles compliant and others are not?
• Why do specific muscle get stiff during weather changes, yet others appear to be  unaffected?
• Why do we continually wake up with the same sore, stiff muscle pain in the same place every morning?
• Why does our back hurt in some positions and not others?
• Why do our episodes of muscular pain plague us in the same spot?
• Why does the pain return . . . even after treatment?

The above hypothetical questions all have one common answer. That is… myofascial lesions in the form of barrier trigger points.  Myofascia is the tissue that surrounds all muscles.  I like to describe it like the substance that holds sausages together.  Barrier trigger points are inflexible bands of muscle, usually containing knots. These trigger points (knots) set an artificial ceiling on optimal muscle performance by restricting blood flow to the muscle(s). Muscles need unrestricted blood flow for both high performance and full recovery from muscle activity regardless of the type (athletic, work related or a muscular condition). Simply put, barrier trigger points are usually the primary cause of non-compliant muscles.

Here is where The Stick comes in…

The STICK allows a person to self-administer general as well as segmental therapeutic practices with a great deal of accuracy. By rolling over the muscles with The Stick, muscles become compliant and ready for activity. Due to the bio-mechanical rolling, stretching and compressing of muscle tissue, barrier trigger points become diffused and rehabilitation of non-compliant muscles takes place. Remember that a compliant muscle will perform much better than a non-compliant muscle.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of The Stick as a Recovery Tool.

What People Say About “The Stick”

I find that testimonials from real people are one of the best ways to review and research a product.  I have been doing a lot of reading about researching products and one of the best ways is to visit forums and blogs.

I found one about The Stick a few months back on the MapMyRun website.  Some comments were:

• “My son has used one for a couple years. It was recommended by his physical therapist when he was recovering from a IT band injury during his junior year of cross-country. He bought his from www.thestick.com and still uses it, although he is no longer running. “

 

•   “I have been very happy with this purchase.  I had IT pain, and lots of tiredness/soreness on the anterior muscles of the lower leg while training for an ultra.  It was a fantastic way to get the blood flowing in those areas and provide therapeutic massage.  I cannot say for sure, but I feel that it helped me avoid injury during higher mileage weeks. “

 

• “I purchased one several years ago on the advice of a personal trainer. I love it! It was definitely the best running investment I made. I had intense knee pain due to ITB tightness. When I use it after runs consistently, I never have a problem. Mine has lasted at least 5 years and has kept my ITB very happy. I recommend it to all runners, as it is relatively inexpensive and can be used for a variety of stretching and massaging moves. “

You can find all the testimonials- here -

I also have been creating a testimonials page on the Zealous Vitality Website.  It is comprised of  people who I know except for the professional sport testimonials.  I don’t claim that I have spoken to people like:

Phil Jackson, Head Coach – LA Lakers

Bob Anderson, Author of Bestseller…Stretching

Norm Miller, Strength coach – Olympic Bobsled Team

You might also want to check out one of my earlier posts – “Does Anyone Use Those Massage Sticks?”

If you have a testimonial about The Stick or anything on this blog, please feel free to make a comment.

 

Nutritional Biomechanics and The Stick

Have you ever heard of this term “Nutritional Biomechanics”.  I know I didn’t until I got involved in researching about The Stick.  I have posted a description of this interesting subject below.

By the way, I am a firm believer that nutrition and sleep are the top variables that a person can monitor and directly control.  Most of us a born with some combination of  speed, endurance, flexibility and power.  Some people can increase their abilities in one area, but not others, no matter how hard they try.  Some level of improvement will be seen with training.  However, advanced levels of achievement come with years of training and hard work.  Sleep and nutrition are directly controlled on how we take care of our bodies.   Imagine how much harder or how fast a person can recover with proper rest and nutrition?  

Nutritional Biomechanics:

The Stick helps to strengthen your muscles by employing Nutritional Biomechanics.

Here’s a short definition:
“In principle, Nutritional Biomechanics exploits the unique biomechanical relationship between muscle and its nutrient delivery system. Patient care for fibromyalgia syndrome, trigger point pain, muscle strain and delayed muscle soreness is especially magnified by supplementing the patient with a balanced nutritional drink 20-30 minutes prior to therapeutic stretching and massage. Such a protocol will insure that the blood entering the newly relaxed muscle is nutrient-dense. A full complement of nutrients will provide the raw materials needed for healing.”
- Dr. Andrew S. Bonci
Copyright 1992, All Rights Reserved Dr. Andrew S. Bonci Sport Biomechanics Laboratory

As you can see, The Stick can really make a difference in how nutrition is used in the body.  Basically, ingest some nutrient rich substance 20-30 minutes before you use The Stick, then roll out your muscles to increase circulation and blood flow.

 

The Technology Behind The Stick

As a  follow-up post to my last one.  I would like to give some information about the technology behind The Stick.  This should answer the question of what does The Stick actually do?

Here it goes: (Note: Please remember that “Intracell Technology” can be used interchangeably with “The Stick.”)

The Q-10 Effect

Warm muscles perform better than cool muscles. Traditionally, athletes would have to do light exercise to raise muscle temperature and enhance enzyme activity. This came at the expense of energy stores that could make the difference between first place and second place. Intracell Technology™ allows an athlete to warm-up without expending energy reserves.

Speed, Strength and Endurance

Emphasis on flexibility training by most athletes is almost non-existent. However, flexibility is crucial for developments in speed, strength and endurance. The usual approach to flexibility is less than optimal since muscle rarely stiffens uniformly. Typically, isolated segments of muscle become chronically shortened. Intracell Technology™ allows an athlete to perform general stretching as well as segmental stretching procedures with a high degree of precision.

Barrier Trigger Points

Barrier trigger points are inflexible bands of muscle containing knots. These barriers set an artificial ceiling on muscle performance by restricting blood flow to the muscle.And, unrestricted blood flow is vital for both high performance and full recovery from exercise. Intracell Technology™ lifts the ceiling on performance by extinguishing barrier trigger points.

Growth, Repair and Glycogen

Restricted blood flow to the muscles following exercise hinders muscle growth, muscle repair and glycogen repletion. Blood flow restrictions are due to generalized muscle tightness and barrier trigger points. Intracell Technology™ relaxes tight muscle which enhances muscle growth, repairs tissue and augments glycogen repletion following heavy exercise.

Enhanced Lactic Acid Removal

During exercise, lactic acid can build to critical levels where optimal performance is sacrificed. Intracell Technology™ expedites the discharge of lactic acid from your muscles and encourages its conversion into glucose by the liver.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and The Stick

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS is the fancy name to why your muscles hurt so much after a workout or training session.  There have been many suggestions to why this happens.  Some theories include:

• The muscle itself has been damaged and therefore is sore.  Microscopic tears and lesions form throughout the muscle.
• Muscle soreness is the natural occurrence after a particular bout of exercise that has a high intensity or duration.
• Muscles need to be broken down and recover in order to get bigger and stronger.
• Muscle soreness and stiffness after exercise is most common when an exercise/training program has been implemented or altered.

Needless to say, I think anyone who has experienced a tough training session can expect some soreness over the next 24 -48 hours.  The key question is how to alleviate that muscle pain!!  The Stick can help.  I know this because new research out of Australia has suggested that simply stretching out the next day is not very effective at all.  Here are some ideas from Elizabeth Quinn who is a sports medicine expert: (I Have placed “The Stick”beside the tips that apply to using this great massage tool.)

Here are some tips for dealing with soreness after exercise:

• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness.
• Use active recovery techniques. This strategy does have some support in the research. Perform some easy low-impact aerobic exercise to increase blood flow “The Stick”. This may help diminish muscle soreness.
• Use the RICE method of treating injuries. Rest,Ice,Compression,Elevation
• Although research doesn’t find gentle stretching reduces soreness, some people find it simply feels good.
• Gently massage the affected muscles. Some research has found that massage was effective in alleviating DOMS by approximately 30% and reducing swelling, but it had no effects on muscle function. “The Stick”
• Try using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (aspirin or ibuprofen) to reduce the soreness temporarily, though they won’t actually speed healing.
• There is some evidence that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS.
• Avoid any vigorous activity that increases pain. “The Stick”
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise.
• Don’t forget to warm up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not). “The Stick”
• If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.
• Learn something from the experience! Use prevention first. 

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – Prevention
While DOMS is common and annoying, it is not a necessary part of exercise. There are many things you can do to prevent, avoid and shorten the duration of DOMS:

• Warm up thoroughly before activity and cool down completely afterward. “The Stick”
• Cool Down with gentle stretching after exercise. “The Stick”
• Follow the Ten Percent Rule. When beginning a new activity start gradually and build up your time and intensity no more than ten percent per week.
• Start a new weight lifting routine with light weights and high reps (10-12) and gradually increase the amount you lift over several weeks.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the type of exercise you do.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the amount of time that you exercise.

As you can see “The Stick” can be instrumental in reducing muscle soreness.

To read the full article from Elizabeth Quinn click here.

Using The Stick in Cold Weather

Since I live in an area in Alberta, Canada where there has been a substantial amount of snowfall and cold weather this year, I decided to experiment a little with The Stick as a warm-up and cool-down tool in cold weather.  Here are some relevant Stick tips.

Here is what we know already about The Stick as a warm-up/cool-down tool:

• A typical warm-up for healthy muscle tissue is about 20 progressively deeper passes over each muscle group (about 30 seconds per area).
• By warming up muscles for exercise, the muscles are becoming stimulated and ready to perform by increasing the blood flow to that muscle group.
• A typical cool-down for healthy muscle tissue is about 20 progressively deeper passes over each muscle group (about 30 seconds per area).
• By cooling down muscles after exercise, muscles are permitted to slowly return to their resting state and blood pooling will be reduced.  Soreness and stiffness can be diminished with a proper cool-down, leading to  increased recovery for the next time training takes place.  Never mind allowing your heart to recover.

Here is what I have been doing:

1. Rolling over my legs (one leg @ a time) in my house, starting with quads, then hamstrings, then calves.
2. Switching legs
3. Lower back/Upper Back
4. A little on the arms.
5. Going out for a run in the cold/snow.
6. Light stretching on thet front step of my house.
7. Repeating steps 1-4 in my house.
8. Stretching my lower back with the Posture Curve!

My findings have been very impressive.  I feel fantastic!  Due to the fact that I warm-up with The Stick, my muscles are prepared for exercise without expending energy.  This is a real benefit since the cold and snow already zap a lot of energy to begin with.  I can start my run right away without spending extra time outside “warming-up”.  My muscles are primed and ready to go.

You may notice that when you do exercise outside that your muscles due become stiff and cold even though you are exercising.  This is really apparent when your done your workout.  Typically your legs are a little cold and stiff.  This is where The Stick is even more impressive.  By rolling over your muscles, you actually are speeding up circulation by bringing blood flow to the area you are rolling.  Your legs actually warm-up a little at the same time you are flushing out the lactic acid that has built up from your training session.

Needless to say, The Stick is amazing!!

P.S.- My wife, who is the real runner, loves using The Stick too!!

P.S.S – These same results will work for your pets and horses!!