Self-Massage for Athletes   

A Revolutionary Approach to Improved Fitness and Health

 

Self-Massage for Runners

Massage is powerful medicine for runners. It relieves sore muscles, speeds recovery, prevents injury, and helps you feel better fast. No activity demands more from legs and feet than running, and no athletes benefit more from massage than runners.


Who

If you run, you probably need a massage after every run. But unless you do it yourself, it’s not getting done. The purpose of this page is to give you a leg up on the basics of massaging your feet and legs.


Why

After a run, sore hamstrings, quads, and calf muscles are evidence of a need for massage. By improving circulation, massage feeds and cleans the cells that got hungriest and dirtiest during your run. By squeezing, pressing, and drumming you direct your blood to the muscles that need it.


Massage releases trigger points, those tiny knots that form in muscles and reduce strength and range of motion. Most runners have been told to stretch but that rarely gets out the knots. By pressing directly on a muscle, massage stretches it, releasing the trigger points that are impairing performance. Thus, massage delivers a more precise effective stretch than traditional stretching.   


7 Massage Strokes

Glide your hand over your skin to warm it up.

Squeeze a muscle to warm it and improve circulation.

Squeeze & Roll: while squeezing a muscle roll or pull the muscle to improve circulation.

Press a muscle by pushing your hand, or massage tool into it to release trigger points.

Press & Roll: While pressing a muscle, roll your hand or fist into it in small circles for an even deeper more effective massage.

Drum the side of your hand, fist, or palm into a muscle to wake it up.

Rock & Roll: Dance massages your internal organs, put on some music and try it.


Massage Routine for Runners

  1. Bullet Feet

  2. ✓ You better be seated for this or lying on your back, whatever works.

  3. ✓ Start by gliding your hands over your bare foot and continue rubbing until you feel your foot is as warm as it’s going to get.

  4. ✓ Then squeeze it, not too hard, not too soft. Begin by squeezing each toe, then squeeze your whole foot, until it’s warm, maybe a little moist. It should feel good.

  5. ✓ When your foot is warm, press your thumbs into your soles, begin at your toes and move to your heels. Then press the other 4 fingers of your hand into the top of your foot. You might want to do these two moves together.

  6. ✓ Pull your toes back if you’d like to stretch your entire foot.

  7. ✓ Now, forget these directions, go a little crazy and do what feels good.

  8. ✓ When you’ve had enough, get up and walk around, if you feel a difference in your feet that’s the power of massage talking to you. It should say thanks!

  9. ✓ Now you’re ready to move onto your other foot.

  10. ✓ After massaging both feet move onto your:


  1. Bullet Lower Legs

  2. ✓ Sit, roll up your right pant leg, and cross your right leg over your left knee or make it accessible to both hands in whatever way feels comfortable and relaxing.

  3. ✓ Glide your hands up between your ankle and your knee until your skin feels warm and happy.

  4. ✓ Then with your left hand, squeeze your leg moving up from your ankle to your knee. Squeeze the area around your Achilles tendon. Squeeze your calf muscles. And then squeeze along your shin bone. Squeezing should be pleasing.

  5. ✓ After a minute or so of squeezing, move onto more pressing matters by pressing both fists into your calf muscles. Start at the bottom of you calves and work your way up. You may want to use your fingers or a massage tool to compress the muscles. The massage tool will help you go deeper.

  6. ✓ Then roll your fists, fingers or tool while pressing into your calves for  deeper relief, and to release trigger points.

  7. ✓ Now we’re at the the point where you do whatever feels good, glide, squeeze, press, press & roll, whatever you want. Make noises if you like. Shout! When your leg feels fully massaged, drum your lower leg lightly with your fingers or knuckles.

  8. ✓ Now you’re ready to move onto your other leg.

  9. ✓ After massaging both lower legs let’s go to your:


  1. Bullet Upper Legs

  2. ✓ This is where your hamstrings and quads live. They’re big muscles and they may need some intensity. Let’s see what we can do to give them their due.

  3. ✓ You’re seated in a chair or better yet on the floor.

  4. ✓ Warm your leg of choice with gliding strokes.

  5. ✓ Then dig in. These monsters are too big to squeeze with one hand so let’s work your quads by pressing your fists into the four big muscles that give them their name. Start at your knee move towards your hips, use both hands. Repeat the process 5 to 10 times.

  6. ✓ Then try pressing & rolling your fists into your quad muscles, one hand on either side. Try pressing & rolling the palms of your hands into them quads. If you want to go even deeper you’ll need a massage tool. I like the Knobble II for my quads. Press with both hands, holding the tool in one hand. Try pressing and rolling both hands into your quads in concert. Feels pretty good doesn’t it?

  7. ✓ Now let’s focus on your hamstrings.

  8. ✓ Relax both legs and press your fingers into your hamstrings beginning at your knee and moving towards your glutes.

  9. ✓ Then press and roll your fingers into your hamstrings using either one or two hands.

  10. ✓ If you have a Backnobber II and want to go deeper this is the time to whip it out. Seated on the floor. Press the knob into your hamstrings working up from your knee and towards your butt. If this doesn’t help your hamstrings, I don’t know what will. Try it on your IT bands, hips and glutes.

  11. ✓ Once you feel the need to move onto your other leg, do it.

  12. ✓ After massaging both upper legs let’s see what we forgot.


  1. Bullet Knees

  2. ✓ Still seated, place your foot on the ground. 

  3. ✓ Glide your hands over one knee to warm it.

  4. ✓ When it’s warm, squeeze it using both hands.

  5. ✓ Now press & roll your fingers into the area between your calf muscle and hamstrings until you’ve had enough.

  6. ✓ Switch knees and have at it.


  1. Bullet Finishing Touches

  2. ✓ Two final strokes to apply: drumming and rock & roll.

  3. ✓ Drum or tap your hands against your body, begin with your feet and work your way up to your head, play your body like a drum. This stimulating stroke can be done with open hands, fists or the side of your hands in the familiar karate chop style.

  4. ✓ Rock & Roll is an even more stimulating stroke and a great way to get ready for your next activity unless it’s napping. Just put on some music and go to it.

  5. ✓ Dancing  gets your blood moving and massages your internal organs.

  6. ✓ Most runners spend 5 to 10 minutes on this whole routine, but you should take as long as you need.

  7. ✓ That’s all there is to it, but you have to do it.


  1. Bullet The Whole Enchilada

  2. ✓ Running is not a legs and feet only activity. It involves your whole body.

  3. ✓ Pay attention to what other parts of your body are calling out for a massage and answer their call.

  4. ✓ Check out the routines for other sports to experiment with massages for your neck, shoulders, abs, glutes, hips and every other part of you that needs it.


Conclusion

After you’ve massaged your feet and legs a few times using the above routine, you’ll realize: There’s no one-size-fits-all, single, best, all time, every time, perfect massage routine. Each massage you perform will be an improvisation. Your legs change after every run, and your massage routine should change as well. Your muscles will learn to direct your hands and your fingers will learn to listen. Practice massage regularly and you’ll feel a big improvement in your running.


Feedback

Please let me know how I can make this page even more helpful.







Every Good Workout Deserves a Massage

To get comfortable with the strokes and routine, first practice them with this  page in view.