Every so often I have something pointed out to me that is so obvious, I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. Such is the case with this book. In it, author Rich Poley gives everyone tips on self-massage.
The book is broken down into three sections. The first parts lays out the argument for why self-massage is important. Second, he gives us a detailed guide on how to self-massage. Finally, he looks at some related fields like acupressure, trigger points, and tools.
The heart of the book is the second section. This part not only includes not only words but large black and white photos to show us just what he is talking about. This really helped me get a clear picture.
I read the book last week in preparation for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament I participated in this weekend. Both evenings, I tried a little self-massage on myself. Granted, I'm still sore today, but I think I am less sore then I would have been. And all day long I was massaging my legs at work to help them recover. Frankly, I wish I had read and started using these techniques a few weeks ago so I'd be better at them by now.
The only real flaw with the book is the author's tendency to overstate his case. In the first part, he sites several studies showing the benefits of massage, then goes on to state that this probably applies to self-massage. While I tend to agree with him, that didn't sit quite right with me. In another place, he discusses the ways a shower can be a massage parlor. Again, it is generally good advice, but I did roll my eyes when he said a razor can give a massage to your face or legs. Maybe it's just me, but that just doesn't hold true. I even tried his mental techniques, but that just made me even more uncomfortable that I was running a sharp object over my face.
While the book is obviously aimed at athletes, the message really applies to anyone.
There is little in this book that is truly earth shattering. But the principles and ideas are good and well worth considering. I know I will be making them part of my normal workout routine.