A Review of The Marathon Stick

 

Here is a review done by Phong Chieng of The Trail Running Blog.

Phong writes a great review of The Marathon Stick.  Here are some highlights:

“An important running accessory that I’ve started using in my daily routine is the Marathon Stick, a very simple and easy-to-use self-massaging tool to help alleviate sore muscles and speed recovery.”

“It is a very versatile tool, which can be worked on almost all muscle groups. Because of these features, the price makes The Stick worth it if you consider how much just one session with a masseuse will cost.”

How Speed Skaters Might Use “The Stick”

During the Edmonton Marathon, I met two high end speed skaters!  The first was a young up and comer who has been training at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta.  Her family has been involved in speed skating for quite a number of years.  Her dad happens to be a coach as well.  They ended up picking up a Sprinter Stick.

This made sense to me because speed skaters have large, dense muscles.  The Sprinter Stick was the perfect stick for her because it is stiff and short enough to fit it into her training bag.

The other speed skater I met was Crystal Phillips.  If her name sounds familiar it is because she is competing against the very best in the world.  Crystal is a Canadian speed skater who is not only training for Canada, but she also has Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  I did not know that she was dealing with MS until I met her for coffee.  She is a remarkable young women.  Here is a little exert from an article written about her efforts with the MS Bike Tour a couple of years ago:

“After successfully organizing a team for the MS Bike Tour for the first time last year, Crystal Phillips is looking forward to making this year’s team an even bigger success. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis herself only a little over a year ago, the 21-year-old speed skater is determined to not let the disease get her down and hopes this Bike Tour, which is a two-day 180-km trip from Airdrie to Olds and back, will help build more awareness of MS and will help raise as much money as possible for MS research.”

To read the most up to date information on Crystal click the title - Canadian speed skaters support upcoming MS Bike Tour

Crystal is still team captain for her team called ‘Team Tazza’  for the MS Bike Tour. 

Interestingly enough, she stopped by my booth and said she uses The Stick all the time.  She told me she mainly uses it for warm-up.  Being that she is an amazing athlete, I assumed she would be using the Sprinter Stick as well.  I was wrong.

Crystal showed up the next day to compete in her race and she again stopped by my booth and showed her Travel Stick.  I was shocked to hear that she only uses the Travel Stick.  I though for sure she would be using a stiffer stick like the Sprinter Stick, Body Stick or even the Stiff Stick.  She explained to me that she and other speed skaters love to use the stick to warm-up and stimulate their muscles before they trained or raced.  So, the Travel Stick was perfect for the job.  She was not looking to do any deep soft tissue release because she would see a therapist for that. 

I think this makes a lot of sense for a person in her position.  She has access to physiotherapists and massage therapists, so she uses The Stick as a warm-up tool.  I suggested she she also use it as a cool-down tool and a tool for soft tissue work in between visits to her therapists.

Crystal is a great example of how speed skaters or other athletes can use The Stick! 

 Go Crystal Go.

 

I should also mention that Crystal is part of Clean Air Champions where their mission is to improve air quality by working with respected athletes to motivate and educate Canadians to adopt practices and lifestyles that enhance both environmental and personal health.

 

 

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

 

Avoiding Pain When Cycling

I love to get out on my mountain bike and have a great workout.  One of the problems I have is my geographical  location in Alberta, Canada.  I have to admit that I am somewhat of a weekend warrior, so I naturally wait for the snow to melt, than I get very excited for spring!

I truly enjoying x-country mountain biking, so the road really is not my cup of tea.  However, I do go for a few long road/path rides to get my legs (and butt) back into the shape.  Since discovering The Stick I have taken one on many of my rides to help recover and loosen up my sore muscles.  I also love to use a Stick during a break and right after I am done to aid in recovery.

Needless to say, cycling can be amazing or a real pain in the butt, knees, back, wrists and shoulders.  There are many fitting guides out there and you should always listen to experts or go to your local bike shop to get the personal touch.  For starters, I have a guide to help you.  It is called “Proper Bike Fit Can Prevent Pain and Injury“.  The article gives some good, basic information on the following topics:

• Adjusting the Saddle
• Handlebar Adjustment
• Knee pain
• Neck pain
• Foot pain or numbness
• Hand pain or numbness
• Saddle sores

You can find the full article -Here-

The most interesting note I have to say is that The Stick and it’s related Speciality Products can help with all of the above conditions except saddle sores.  That is a “sensitive” topic. 

Needless to say The Stick is a great tool every cyclist needs to have in their toolbox.

Another Video About “The Stick”

Here is a video about hoe The Stick can be especially useful for golfers.

Note:  The picture you see is only a graphic of the screen shot of the video.  Please click the video or hit the link under the video to view the clip.

http://www.coreperformance.com/video/Movement_Massage_Stick_Self_Massage_-_Golf.html

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!!

The Stick and Pets

Pets need massage too!!

How do I know?  They have muscles too!?!?

Honestly, the list of reasons why you would want to massage your pet are endless.  They are very similar to the list reasons why you should have a pet found here in the Top Ten Reasons to Have a Pet. 

When it comes to Pet Massage, the Pet Stick can help in the following ways:

• Massaging for, enjoyment and bonding.
• Massaging for performance.
• Massaging for therapy and rehabilitation.
• Massaging for relaxation and anxiety.

The Pet Stick is the perfect tool for those who love their pets or work with animals!  After all, pets get stiff sore muscles and injuries as well.

The Pet Stick has a comfortable handle, a wrist strap, a  spinning wheel wheel for pinpoint precision and 7 spindles that roll over your pets muscles.

IT Band Syndrome

I have noticed an interesting statistic.

It turns out that many people who visit my website – Zealous Vitality Inc. Featuring: THE STICK  are downloading my IT Band Specific Technique PDF file.  This tells me, there are many people out there who suffer from Iliotibial Band Sydrome (ITBS).

I know The Stick can help!  How do I know?  The answer is……… because The Stick offers deep penetrating massage!!!  There are articles, upon articles that agree and disagree with each other on how to treat ITBS.  The bottom line is they all agree that massage therapy works!

To save you time, here are a few resources:

• ITBS Help Site – Very informative!!!
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome - About.com – Orthopedic Review
• eMecine Article – An excellent research based website.
• SaveYourself.ca – An amazing website written by a Canadian!!!

The Stick is a perfect tool to help with ITBS.  When I help people decide what Stick is best for them, I always ask them if they have IT Band problems.  If so, I recommend a stiffer model like The Sprinter Stick so that they can massage their IT Bands anytime, anyplace!!

The Sprinter Stick

IT Band and The Stick – More Good Information!

The Stick is Amazing!!!

If you are looking for an inexpensive, easy to use tool that will change your physical well being, then look no further! “The Stick“ is a  self- massage device designed to give your muscles all the benefits that you would get from visiting a massage therapist or physiotherapist.  The Stick can be used like a “Toothbrush” for your muscles.  Why wait until you are sick or injured to do something about your physical health?  By using The Stick on a daily basis (like brushing your teeth), you will achieve a higher level of fitness and overall well-being.  It is much more accurate and easier to use than the foam roller!! By rolling over your muscles, your circulation will increase and breakdown trigger points (muscle knots).  As a result The Stick:

• Improves Strength
• Increases Flexibility
• Extends Endurance
• Accelerates Recovery Time
• Reduces Muscle Soreness, Stiffness & Pain
• Prepares Muscle for Rigors of Activity
• Flushes Muscle from Rigors of Activity
     

Original Body Stick

 

 

The Stick Features and Benefits:

• Increases the Circulation of Oxygen Rich Blood to Muscles
• Increases Strenght, Flexibility and Endurance
• Used as a Rehabilitation Tool
• Helps to Prevent and Predict Injuries
• Can be Used as an Efficient Warm-Up and Cool-Down Tool
• Helps to Release Myofascial Tissue
• Used as a Device for Trigger Point Therapy 

Visit: www.ZealousVitality.ca