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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
→Fellrnr's Massage Preferences
* '''Hamstrings and hip adductors'''. The stick works best here, but make sure the knee is bent and the foot supported so that the hamstring is relaxed.
* '''The quads'''. Use the foam roller, but take time to go deep enough to work the full muscle.
* '''The Glutes'''. A softball is the best approach I've found for the glutes. I use a [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UIA128 16 inch circumference softball]. (Thanks to Charles W for this tip!).
** Be careful near the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_muscle Piriformis]. The Piriformis lies over the sciatic nerve, so massage in this area can be quite painful. Problems in the Piriformis muscle can cause [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome Piriformis Syndrome].
* '''ITB and Tensor Fascia Latae'''. This is a classic use of the foam roller, but remember to massage high enough to reach the TFL. See [[Iliotibial band syndrome]] for more details.
* '''Back'''. The foam roller can help stretch the back, and provides some level of massage.
* '''Hip Flexors'''. The hip flexors are always hard to massage as they are very deep. I have learned to lie on my back with my knees up and use my hands to massage my hip flexors. I have to relax the abdominal muscles and follow the hip flexor from the iliac (hip) crest down towards the spine. Raising my knee slightly will use the hip flexors so I can check that I am on the muscle. You really need someone with training to teach this technique to you, as you are getting to muscles near the spine from the front; there's lots of important bits you have to bypass to get there ;}
* '''Back'''. I have a Panasonic massage chair that does a good job on my back. Far from cheap, but it's proved its worth over the years I've had it. If I need more than the chair, I get my wife to use the [[Thumper]] or I use my [[Teeter Inversion Table]]. (I had [[Back Surgery]] so looking after my back is critical to me.)
==See Also==
* [[Trigger Points]]
