My New Toy: The Stick

This entry was written on Dec 29, 2008 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

Well, after years of thinking about it, I finally put my husband on the case, and he got me "The Stick" for Christmas. For those who may not have heard of it, the Stick is a bendy bar about 17 inches long that's covered with rollers about an inch or so wide, with handles on each end. It's a self-massage tool--you hold the handles and roll the Stick along your quads, hamstrings, arms, shoulders, etc. So far I have tried using it before I've gone out to run in the morning, and my legs do feel a little looser compared with when I just do my normal stretching exercises.  I'll see whether I notice any additional difference after another week or so. But if nothing else, it does feel good to roll it along my quads, hamstrings, and calves.

There are different sizes and styles of the Stick, but I have the original, and based on the  company info, I think it's the best choice for runners. There is a stick supposedly geared towards marathoners, but I think the original gives a deeper massage.

Stay loose and happy running!