Self-Massage for Cyclists
Massage may be the most powerful medicine cyclists can get without a prescription. It relieves sore muscles, speeds recovery, prevents injury, and helps you feel better fast. Few activities demand more from your body than cycling, and few athletes benefit more from massage than cyclists. If you ride hard, you probably need a massage after every workout. But unless you do it yourself, it’s not getting done. Following is a basic massage routine for cyclists. for quads, hamstrings, glutes, and neck.
By improving circulation, massage feeds and cleans the cells that got hungriest and dirtiest during your ride. 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 cyclists 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. Ironically, massage delivers a more precise effective stretch than traditional stretching.
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Glide your hand over your skin to warm it up.
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Squeeze a muscle to warm it and improve circulation.
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Squeeze & Roll: while squeezing a muscle roll or pull the muscle to improve circulation.
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Press a muscle by pushing your hand, or massage tool into it to release trigger points.
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Press & Roll: While pressing a muscle, roll your hand or fist into it in small circles for an even deeper more effective massage.
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Drum the side of your hand, fist, or palm into a muscle to wake it up.
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Rock & Roll: Dance massages your internal organs, put on some music and try it.
Massage Routine for Cyclists
1. Quads
You had better be seated for this or lying on your back, whatever works. Relax your quads throughout the massage and breathe into your belly (abdominal breathing).
Warm your leg of choice with gliding strokes.
Quads are too big to do one handed, so work your quads by pressing your knuckles into the four big muscles that give them their name. Starting at your knee, move towards your hip using both hands. Repeat the process 3 or 4 times, use the heels of your hands if you like.
Then press & roll your fists into your quad, one hand on either side. Pay special attention to the muscles just above your knee. Work your way up your thigh a few times.
Try interlacing your fingers and press your palms into both sides of your quads simultaneously, working your way up toward your hips.
Once you feel the need to move onto your other leg, do so.
After massaging both legs move onto your:
2. Hamstrings
Sit down, or better yet lie down on your back, 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.
Hamstrings are large muscles so they’ll require some real work. Relax by breathing into your hamstrings. Sounds weird but do it.
Glide your hands up the back of your right leg between your knee and your glutes. Continue gliding until the area is warm and ready.
Press your fingers into your hamstrings beginning at your knee and moving towards your glutes. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
Then press & roll your fingers into your hamstrings using either one or two hands.
When you’re ready move onto your other leg.
After massaging both legs, go to your:
3. Glutes
These are the largest and most neglected muscles in your body so spend some time on them.
Stand up and warm your glutes by gliding your hands over them.
Then dig in. They are too big to squeeze with one hand or even two but do your best. Try pressing and rolling all five fingers on each hand into them, alternately flexing and relaxing the muscles. Cover both sides to get a feel for what works.
You’ll have to use a massage tool if you want to go deeper and give your glutes the relief they deserve.
Put 3 tennis balls in a sock, place the sockball on the floor and your butt on the sockball. Hold yourself up by placing your hands on the floor in back of you. Then roll your glutes over the sockball making sure to massage every muscle in your butt, especially on the sides where you’ll get the most sensation. It’s easier than it sounds. Once you’ve found a sensitive point work it. Then move to another and another, until you’ve had enough.
Then turn to the other cheek and do it again. If this doesn’t help your glutes, you need new glutes.
After massaging both sides of your rear, move on to your:
4. Neck
You can sit, stand or lie on your back.
Glide your hands over your neck until it’s warm.
Press all five fingers from both hands into opposite sides of your neck, continue pressing while slightly varying the location of the press until you’ve covered both sides and the back of your neck.
Then place your knuckles on opposite sides of your neck and roll your fists slightly varying intensity and speed. Vary location until you’ve again covered your entire neck.
Experiment with alternately stretching and relaxing the muscle in your neck while massaging them, continue until your neck feels really good..
Then move your chin toward your chest and drum the back of your neck with your fingertips or knuckles, varying intensity and speed.
5. Finishing Touches
Two final strokes to apply: drumming and rock & roll.
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.
Most cyclists spend about 10 minutes on this whole routine, but you should take as long as you need.