As an athlete, we beat our lower body to the ground and expect it to be ready for our next training session without ever giving it the RnR it deserves. We get it, you like to push it. So do we. But that doesn't mean we can't give our bodies some extra love, massage, and self-care!
Our clinic is full of people coming in after a big weekend of skiing, hiking, and long runs and their body needs some recovery. A lot of times, the best way to recover is through a massage!
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Here at Ripple, we get it! After a long day on the mountain, the last thing we want to do is roll around on the foam roller for hours on end not getting anywhere fast. The thought of holding a stretch is nauseating. But, you don't really know what other mobility exercises to do.
That is why we developed a quick and easy 5-minute three-step process for getting your lower body feeling better after a long day.
Step #1 Soft Tissue Work / Massage
Ditch the foam roller and grab a tennis ball. This will allow you to get right to the source of the tightness and focus on it instead of hoping the foam roller does the trick. The next best thing from coming in for some massage and manual therapy is a good ol tennis ball or lax ball. This is ideally better than a foam roller because it is smaller, and can target your trouble areas.
These hamstring release drills are a quick and easy way to find and target whatever tight spots have formed over your time.
Step #2 Dynamic Stretching
These are not your old Physical Therapy or trainers' stretches. Step two is working on some dynamic hamstring stretches like these quadruped rock backs. They work by taking your hamstring muscles through a dynamic movement that lengthens and stretches them within what your body allows. Flow through these, feel athletic, and take what your body gives you!
Try it out and then proceed to step #3
Step #3 Get moving!
The third and final step is to get the joints moving. Actively moving the hip joint through its full range of motion is the best way to increase and maintain your body’s capacity for movement. As we say here at Ripple, “you need active modalities for active results” meaning you eventually need to get moving in order to move easier. It’s not always about stretching and passive modalities.
These are intended to be done every day in order to keep the joints as lubricated as possible increasing your movement capacity and decreasing your overall tension.
As much as you feel like you need a massage, movement is the most important thing. Nothing feels better than a massage, but where the money lives is in the movement. If you can combine massage with movement, you're winning!
Again, here is a sample of this lower body routine for those days when you want to take care of your body but don’t feel like spending 30 minutes stretching aimlessly for no results!
Don't forget! After you go through this routine, reward yourself with a 50% off massage. Your body will thank you!