Core3 Massage

I am finally settled into my new space @ Health Coaches on Free St. Still in the Old Port, but best of all, across the street from Arabia Coffee. It’s sort of like my second office. So, here I sit thinking of all the things I have wanted to write about, but have been too busy to do so.

Thinking about hip flexors lately. There is rarely a person that I work on that does not have tight hip flexors (or Tensor Fasciae Latae – TFL – in muscle speak). These muscles assist in hip flexion (such as when you lift your thigh up when you are biking, walking or running).

They also tend to get tight on people who sit a lot.  While sitting, the hip flexors are in a shortened position.  If one sits for long periods, the hip flexors get used to this shortened/tight position.

When hip flexors are really tight, they can limit leg lift. One might not notice this reduced range of motion at first. However, you will notice the tightness when you feel the discomfort/pain when they get massaged.

There are a few things you can do to keep these important muscles from getting too tight. One is to stretch them regularly. The best stretch that I have found, is one that I learned from Erica Napuli of Evolution Fitness (efitness08@yahoo.com).

Start by standing facing steps or a bench/chair. Bend your right knee and place your right foot onto the bench (or a higher or lower object depending on your flexibility). Angle inwards the toes of your left foot, that is still on the floor.  Then raise your arms above your head and arch back, pushing your hips forward to give your left hip flexor a stretch.  Repeat on other side. If you don’t feel a stretch doing this try a higher step, or maybe they just aren’t that tight on you. Lucky you.

Another great way to reduce tightness in your hip flexors is to do self massage with a tennis ball. Find your hip flexors. They are located on the outer front of your “hip”.  Between where you might feel your hip bone and where you might imagine that your quads start.

Find a tennis ball. This might involve wrestling one from the jaws of your fun loving dog.  Wipe off the doggie slobber and place it between your hip flexor and the wall or floor. It might take some trial and error to find the exact tight spot, but when you do find it, keep the pressure on the tennis ball and move it back and forth gently over the tight hip flexor.

The duration of this “massage’ depends on your tightness, but shouldn’t be longer than a few minutes. Doing this regularly will keep those pesky hip flexor from ever causing you a problem.

If left untreated, tightness in your hip flexors not only limit range of motion at the hip – but the tightness can move down into your Illiotibial Band (ITB) of the outer thigh, down to your outer knee (the ITB attaches to the TFL)….causing pain and discomfort. But I’ll save the discussion of the dangers of tight ITBs for another day.

These last few months I have been thinking a lot about what we do (or “should do”) before we start working out. I haven’t been much for stretching before exercise, although I definitely include a lot of stretching in my post-workout regimen (along with regular self-massage).  There are numerous articles about whether stretching actually helps you or not. I won’t go there right now, but I will address what we probably should be doing before we go out for that walk/ride/run/swim.

My first inspiration, in my rethinking the pre-excersice warm-up, was a New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=stretching&st=cse  that one of you out there brought it to my attention.  It talks about why dynamic stretching, as opposed to static stretching, should be what we are doing before we workout.  According to the article, static stretching (holding a stretch) does nothing to warm up our muscles/tendons and improve their ability to preform. But dynamic stretching does. The article gives 3 examples of dymanic stretches, and in the last month I have been trying them out before I go out for my daily run. Actually 2 of the exercises I was already familiar with (scorpion and handwalks) having been introduced to them by my trainer Erica Napuli (efitness08@yahoo.com) of Evolution Fitness.

My feedback: they are fun to do, and they really do seem to help warm up my muscles. However, I also use the stick before I run. So that nice loose feeling in my legs at the beginning of my run, might be due to the stick, the dynamic stretches or both. But regarless, I probably will continue with these dymanic stretches.

The second experience that is helping shape my pre-exercise thinking, is my exposure to Resistance Stretching. Gary Gurney (Certified Rolfer at Rolfing Structural Integration www.mainerolfing.com ) was generous enough to introduce this form of pre-exercise stretching to me.  Resistance Stretching is basically contracting a muscle as it is being stretched. Dana Torres used this method of stretching in her Olympic training. After the Olympics Gary became interested in this type of stretching, has been trained in preforming and teaching of Resistance Stretching, and he is now using it to help athletes here in Portland. He recently has introduced Resistance Stretching to the Bowdoin Swim team with great success, and continues to spread the word. 

Being curious to see if this really works, I have been stretching my persistent tight left hamstring using this method.  I’ll use Resistance Stretching before or during a run if/when my hamstring feels tight.  And amazingly, it has really helped.  Check out http://www.innovativebodysolutions.com/olympic-athletes/dara-torres-stretching/stretch-like-dara.html if you are interested. 

This is just the beginning of my quest to discover the best way to warm-up for events/workouts.  So, more later on Resistance Stretching, as well as other pre-workout warm-up info. All just to keep you as healthy as possible, and preforming your best.

If you know me, you have probably heard me preach about stretching.

I think:

1. A little stretching is better than none
2. With the limited time we have, focus on stretching the muscles that tend to be
   tight
3. Stretching after exercise is better than before – even if that means you don’t stretch until that night as you are watching TV
4. Don’t be too over zealous.  Gently find the position where you start to feel the stretch and relax into it.

I was recently reminded how assisted stretching can be a great tool to deal with those nasty
persistant tight muscles.  For me it was the hamstrings, and it worked wonders.  It can be used as a preventative tool, or as a tool to help you recover from an injury.

I have started to offer short appointments (~15min) which focus solely on helping you stretch. Hamstrings love this stuff. I can also do Kinesio Taping if needed in such an appointment.

All for a fee of $15-20 (depending on the use of Kinesio Tape).  If you have an understanding friend/partner/spouse – they could assist you for free!

Regardless, if you ever have any stretching questions, such as “How do I stretch……..?”, I am more than happy to help out, and often give out sheets showing stretches that can be done at home.  All just because I want you to stay as healthy, pain-free and injury-free as possible.

And on a side note:  Erica Napuli was the wonderful person who helped stretch out my hamstrings.
She is a trainer who works out of Health Coaches (on Free St.) under her business name of Evolution Fitness.  And for those of you doing Lobsterman, Erica will be there to assist athletes stretch – both
before and after the race.  I will also be there helping her out. I promise more on Erica a later.

Good luck to all those competing!

~Julia