Friday, November 21, 2008

Wrist Massage



Every active person can benefit from a wrist massage once in awhile and depending on the state of your wrists you may need one every day.

This massage is recommended for people who train with weights, practice yoga, ride mountain bikes, climb rocks, swing rackets, bats or clubs, spend their days working on a computer keyboard or anyone who wants healthy happy wrists.

7 Steps to Happy Wrists
Step 1: Roll’em Up
If you’re wearing long sleeves roll them up and bare your wrists.

Step 2: Squeeze
Rest your hand on your thigh and wrist in the air. Squeeze your wrist. Then begin pulsing your squeeze by alternately tightening and loosening your grip about ten times. When you’ve massaged the first wrist move onto the second and then to step 3.

Step 3: Front Press & Roll
Rest the back of your wrist on your thigh and press & roll your thumb into your wrist. Relax your arm and breathe deeply. When you’ve covered one wrist move onto the other and then to step 4.

Step 4: Back Press & Roll
Turn your wrist over, rest it on your thigh, and press & roll your thumb or three middle fingers from your other hand in small circles into the back of wrist. Relax your wrist and breathe deeply. Press & roll a finger into the sides of your wrist. When you’ve covered one wrist move onto the other, then to step 5.

Step 5: Experiment
Rest your left hand on your left thigh with your fingers pointing toward your left knee and your hand folded at a 90 degree angle from your arm. This position will flex the muscles on one side of your wrist and stretch them on the other side. Massage both sides of your wrist by pressing and rolling your fingers into your wrist. Look for tender spots. Try folding your wrist the other way and massage both sides of it. Relax your arm and go slowly looking for tender spots. When you’ve covered one wrist move onto the other and then to step 6.

Step 6 Drumming
Drum or tap your fingers on your wrists.

Step 7 Rock’n Roll
Let it go, move your arms quickly keeping your hands in a fist!

Conclusion: Try variations on this routine every time your wrists feel stiff or painful.
Suggested Time: 3 to 4 minutes (but take as long as you need)

Benefits of Wrist Massage
*Relieves muscle pain and soreness
*Prevents Injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
*Renewed flexibility to wrists
*Younger happier wrists
*Improved muscle performance
*Energizes
*Releases trigger points
*Feels good
*Activates acupressure points
*Relaxes
*More flexible wrists

Check out our YouTube video: Wrist Massage: Do It While You View It
For more information on the wrist see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrist
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Trigger Points and Booty Ball Massage

If you want to run faster Booty Ball Massage is your ticket, here’s why:

Over time everyone, you, me, President-elect Obama develop knots in our muscles that reduce our strength. These knots are called trigger points. (For the extensive scientific evidence supporting this theory this see the two volume treatise by Travell and Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual . In a more accessible form see Claire Davies book The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook.

Trigger points develop spontaneously in muscles all over our bodies. Pressing on them through massage and other forms of body work releases them. That’s one of the reasons massage can be painful.

Until a trigger point is released the muscle in which it lives is weakened and other muscles must do the inhibited muscle’s work which weakens those muscles as well. You’ve probably seen elderly people whose old bent bodies can barely function. It’s usually not old age per se that’s crippling them but the accumulation of unreleased trigger points.

Releasing trigger points is easy to do when you’re young and relatively healthy. All you have to do is press on them with enough force to release them which can be painful. As a matter of fact that’s how you know you’ve found one, it emits what has been described as an “exquisite tenderness” when pressed. Yikes!

Anyway one big place these trigger points live until they’re released is your butt. Your glutes are the largest muscles in your body and unless you’re massaging them regularly trigger points are growing in them and weakening them and the surrounding muscles. This of course reduces glute and leg strength which reduces your running speed.

One easy way to release trigger points in your glutes is to allow your body weight to do it while you’re sitting at work or watching a video. That’s why I created the booty ball massage video now on YouTube. Watch the video, do booty ball massage and your trigger points will disappear like a fist when you open your hand. You’ll feel better and run faster.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Massage Your Hands (mano y mano)



Every active person needs the benefits that massage can give their hands. Here’s how to get those benefits whenever you need them.

Eight Steps to Happy Hands

Step 1: Glide
Glide your hands against each other to warm them. This rubbing should produce an energy or force in your hands. After briskly rubbing the fronts of your hands together for about 30 seconds stop. Hold your hands palm to palm about a quarter inch from each other without touching. When you can feel the force you’re ready to move to step 2.

Step 2: Finger Pull and Squeeze
Script: Squeeze each finger beginning with your thumb. Make a fist, put a finger in the center of the fist. Squeeze the finger, pulling and twisting it out. When you’ve massage all five digits on one hand massage the remaining five. Squeeze the skin on the side of the hand below the pinky.

Step 3: Hand Squeeze
Squeeze your left hand with your right hand. Begin at your wrist, move your right hand towards your finger tips re-squeezing every inch or so until you’ve covered your hand. Then do the other hand and alternate a few times between the two until you’ve got it covered. Relax, look for tender spots, and breathe deeply.

Step 4: Press and Roll
Front of Hands
Interlace your fingers, rest the back of your right hand on the outside of your left thigh, stretch your right hand with your left. Press and press & roll your left thumb into your open right hand. After covering your right hand reverse positions and use your right thumb to massage your left hand.
Back of Hands
With the fronts of your hands facing each other and your fingers interlaced, press and roll the fingers from your right hand into the back of your left hand. Massage between the bones in the back of your hand. Just below the knuckles feels especially good. Massage the muscle tissue between your thumb and index finger. When the back of your left hand has been massaged, return the favor and massage your right hand. Then release your hands from their embrace and massage the backs of each hand by pressing and rolling the fingers from one hand into the back of the other.
Going Deeper
For an extra deep massage rest your left hand, palm up, on your right thigh and press and press & roll your right elbow into it. If it feels good on your left hand massage your right hand.


Step 5: Gliding
Repeat Step 1 by gliding your hands together.

Step 6: Drumming
Drum, slap, or tap your hand with your fingers, fist, or palm.

Step 7: Rock’n Roll
Shake your hands. Let them dance.

Step 8: Breathe Deeply & Sit Quietly
Take three deep breaths into your lower belly and feel the difference a good hand massage makes.

Suggested Time: 5 minutes.
Conclusion: Try variations on this routine every time your hands deserve it.


Benefits of Hand Massage
Relieves muscle pain and soreness
Prevents Injuries
Renewed flexibility to hands
Younger happier hands
Improved muscle performance
Energizes
Releases trigger points
Feels good
Activates acupressure points
Relaxes
More powerful hands

For more information on hands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand


Saturday, November 1, 2008

Booty Ball Massage

If you want to run faster, jump higher, or sit prettier, a glute massage is your ticket. Yes, every active person needs the benefits that only a glute massage can bequeath. If you have a desk job, here’s how to get those benefits at work.

Choose One

Softball, baseball, hard rubber ball, golf ball, squash ball


Get a ball. Size matters, so does hardness. Choose the size that’s right for your chair and seat. The softer the seat the bigger the ball. It’s a hard ball and a hard chair you want. Choose the smallest ball that you can feel when you sit and roll your hips over it. A hard squash ball is best butt if your seat has lots of padding you’ll need something bigger maybe a golf ball, tennis ball, baseball or even a softball. Then you’ll need to get on the ball.

Five Steps to Massage Your Glutes
Step 1: Choose sides
Choose the side you want to start with, the one that most needs a massage.

Step 2: Roll it
Place the ball on your chair and your glutes on the ball. Then roll your hips in small circles, clockwise and then counter clockwise. Periodically shift the position of the ball. Continue shifting the ball and circling your hips. You may find that a different sized ball works better, if you have another ball handy try it. After massaging one side give your other side a ride.

Step 3: Turning the other cheek
Rotate your hips in small circles, then every once in a while move the ball to a new spot under your glutes. Look for tender spots. You can move the ball by shifting your glutes or just picking up the ball and replacing it.

Tips:
Music makes this massage more effective and fun
Relax your glutes
Breathe into your butt
Press the heels of your hands into your quads while continuing to roll your hips.
It may take you a couple of tries to find the right ball but when you do you’ll know it

Step 4: Drumming
Drum, slap, or tap your glutes with the heels of your hands or your fists. You’ll have to stand up to drum your glutes but they’re worth getting up for.

Step 5: Rock’n Roll
Get up and dance. Wake it and shake it, move your booty!

Conclusion: Try variations on this routine every time your glutes feel tight, or your lower back or hips need attention. If it’s been awhile since you had a good glute massage do this routine often.

Suggested Time: 5 minutes (but take as long as you need).

Benefits of Glute Massage
Releases trigger points
Activates acupressure points
Relieves muscle pain and soreness
Feels good
Improves athletic performance
Relaxes
Energizes
Gives your hips a workout
A treat for your seat
Massaging your glutes massages the largest muscles in your body
Massaging your glutes may relieve pain in your lower back and hips

Note: I recommend a hard squash ball. Squash balls are made of rubber of two types: hard and soft. The hard ones make great massage tools, the soft ones do not.

For more information on the gluteus maximus muscle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutes

For more than you ever wanted to know about the butt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butt

Watch the YouTube Video Booty Ball Massage: Do It While You View It