This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of HoMedics. The opinions and text are all mine.
Raise your hand if you could be including more mobility work like foam rolling, self-massage and stretching into your self-care routine? Even though I’m a yoga teacher and a personal trainer, I’m over here waving both hands in the air. Mobility is something that many of us know we need more of to counter our active lifestyles but it can be hard to find the time and the discipline to do it.
I’ve had a little extra motivation in the mobility department lately thanks to a shipment of HoMedics® Sports Recovery Massagers.
- HoMedics® Sports Recovery Massagers offer built-in vibration. Yes, you read that right! The rollers and massagers are battery operated and add vibration massage to take your mobility work to the next level.
- HoMedics® Sports Recovery Massagers go beyond the traditional stick and foam roller. They also offer a vibration pinpoint massager (the long thing you see above), a percussion massager with heat, a vibration foot massager and the most incredible little textured ball that can really get into tough spots and trigger points while also offering massage.
The best news? All of these HoMedics® products are easy to find at Target.com. (I take no responsibility for what else might end up in your cart! 🙂 )
I am going to show you how I’ve been using the HoMedics® Sports Recovery Massagers by sharing seven of my favorite ways to roll and self-massage. Grab your roller and let’s get going.
1. Foam Rolling Calf Muscles
As I’ve shared before, I tend to get calf strain if I increase my running intensity or mileage too fast. When I was working with Dr. Bradberry last fall during my training season, he emphasized to me over and over again the importance of rolling out my muscles before running to loosen everything up. My calf muscles were one place he recommended that I focus on. The HoMedics® Gladiator™ Vibration Foam Roller is perfect for getting me warmed up to run. (I’m smiling in this picture but crying on the inside. Rolling out your calf muscles is no joke!)
2. Foam Rolling IT Bands and Surrounding Muscles
Your IT band connects at your hip and knee and can often be the culprit when it comes to hip or outer knee pain. I like to give it a couple of slow passes with the foam roller, pausing for about 20-30 seconds on any knots I might find. It’s also important to roll out the muscles surrounding the IT band so that you can loosen the whole area up. Be sure not to neglect your quads or hamstrings!
3. Rolling Feet
In my post about calf strain I shared that tight feet are one of the reasons that I have tightness that trickles up to my achilles and calf. Rolling out my feet is helpful before runs or yoga practices (did you know it helps to lengthen your hamstrings!?) and it also feels amazing after a long run.
The HoMedics® Hydra™Vibration Foot Massager is unique in that along with built-in vibration it can also provide hot or cold massage. It has an internal water chamber where you can add hot or cold water to take your foot massage to the next level. The acu-node surface also feels so nice on the bottom of the feet.
4. Flushing Out Quads and Calf Muscles
I was never much of a stick girl until Dr. Bradberry told me how great it was for pre-run over and over and over again. He literally asked me if I was doing it every time I saw him. So now I try to spend 60-90 seconds running the stick over my quads and calf muscles to wake them up before runs and also when I’m at the gym getting ready to lift.
The HoMedics® Vertex™ Vibration Stick Roller takes the traditional stick to the next level by including vibration massage as well as trigger point ends that allow you to kind of “dig in” to tight spots to provide a targeted pressure massage.
5. Psoas Trigger Point Work
The psoas does not get enough love or attention. It’s one of your primary hip flexors and is located deep in your core. For the last few years I have been all about working on loosening up my psoas as it can be a contributor to low back pain (among a host of other things, the psoas needs its own post!) which I am sometimes prone to thanks to a pretty terrible anterior pelvic tilt.
HoMedics® Triumph™ Vibration Pinpoint Massager features a rotating head for pinpoint or multi-point targeted massage and its shape and functionality makes it perfect for psoas work.
6. Rolling the Upper Back
The HoMedics® Atlas™ Vibration Acu-Node Massager works great for opening up the upper back. I like to stand against a wall and work it into tight spots to help me release knots and tension.
I find balls to be particularly useful for mobility work for everything from upper back, to feet, to glutes and much more. This one includes the added benefits of vibration massage and acu-node texture to give you a deeper and more effective massage.
Thanks to its ergonomic design, the HoMedics® Triumph™ Vibration Pinpoint Massager is also perfect for getting hard to reach areas of the body like the upper back.
7. Rolling Out Glutes
Last, but certainly not least by a landslide, is glute work. I put a ton of focus on rolling out all areas of my glutes whether it’s using the foam roller before a run or workout to loosen everything up or using a ball post-workout to get into my piriformis. I do this by literally sitting on the ball and working it right into the center of my glute. You’ll know when you’ve found it!
I would definitely recommend adding a few of these HoMedics® Sports Massagers into your mobility line up The products are easy to find and available at Target.com, HoMedics.com and in-store at Rite Aid. Check out this website for more information.
It’s also worth noting that the HoMedics® Gladiator™ Vibration Foam Roller is not only an awesome foam roller with built in vibration massage but it also has a secret compartment where you can store keys and other small items.
Let’s all make a pact to get better about doing our mobility work. Our muscles take quite a beating and deserve a little attention and TLC. It’s also important to remember that doing this preventative work is so important in to avoid injuries. If there are any specific mobility topics or tutorials you’d like to see, I’m all ears! Just leave me a comment and let me know.
How often to do you foam roll? What are your favorite areas to foam roll? What are your “hurts so good/least favorite” areas to roll?
How often to do you foam roll?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of HoMedics. The opinions and text are all mine.
