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Fifty Plus (50+) - The stick

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cyclinfool

05-13-09, 07:12 PM

Last winter when on an annual ski trip there was a young guy in our group who brought along a thing called "the stick". http://www.thestick.net/

It is basically a muscle massager. I used it on the trip - every morning and evening, I was able to ski the bumps all day and go at it again the next day where as years past my muscles were shot after two days. I have been using it before and after rides this spring and it is working well for me. I don't have nearly the stiffness and I warm up faster. Again - I am using it in the morning before I go out and at night before bed. Not very expensive (I got it through amazon.com) and seems to help roll out those muscles.

Wake

05-13-09, 08:30 PM

I bought one to loosen up sore calves, tight ITB band, etc., after running. It gives you a nice massage. The one I've got is about 2.5' long, but you can get other sizes and stiffnesses.

Cone Wrench

05-14-09, 08:34 AM

That looks interesting. I currently use several different wooden roller thingies to work on various muscles.
When my kids were very little I would get them to walk on my back. Oooo..that felt good.

Tom Bombadil

05-14-09, 09:22 AM

Hermes

05-14-09, 09:43 AM

I use the foam roller. http://www.performbetter.com/SearchResult.aspx_Q_CategoryID_E_235

I started doing this about a year ago. We have them at our gym and I do a set after cycling. It is unclear to me how much it helps. I will say that I can put my full weight on the "hard" version of the foam roller and it may hurt a little. When I started, It hurt like hell to put any weight on the roller. With this device, you use your body weight to control intensity.

cyclinfool

05-14-09, 02:53 PM

There are even a few more of the stick options shown here:
http://www.shapeupshop.com/fitness/recovery/the_stick.htm

Some info about selecting one here:
http://zealousvitality.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/choosing-the-right-massage-stick/

And some alternatives:
http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5424_A_CategoryID_E_488
http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5178_A_CategoryID_E_488
http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5353_A_CategoryID_E_488

I have not tried anything with a hard core - although I used a rolling pin (wooden) type massager on my wife when she was in labor (it scored me big points). The stick has a flexible core which seems to provide a more constant pressure as it goes over the contours of your muscles. I bought the Marathon version and like it - as I said, I have been using it in the AM when I wake up, before a ride and then later in the day - usually in the evenings. It's nice because I just slip it under the bed and grab it/use it before I head out.