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The second leg: Self Massage of the lower leg, calves and shins A reminder about self massage from April’s issue... Self massage was introduced last month as a useful addition to your running training support. I described the different massage strokes and a selection of styles for pre-race, post-race and maintenance. At the end of this article I have included a description of the different strokes to use as a reminder this time. Combine both articles for a whole-leg massage! The calves have two major muscles and a number of smaller muscles that are particularly significant for runners. The shin only has one major muscle because propelling the body forward requires power at the back. All the minor muscles are instrumental in balance and regulating gait. This is why they are significant for runners, especially cross country runners. About a dozen tendons run from these muscles across the ankle and into the foot. The major calf muscles join at the heel through the achilles tendon, an extremely strong tendon that nevertheless occasionally gets injured. Tendons from the major calf muscles are also attached at either side of the knee. How to massage your lower leg Rest your knee on a small cushion, cup the knee in both hands, move both hands around the knee quickly to warm it. Sit with your leg bent up in front of you and both hands reaching from your heel up to the back of your knee with sweeping strokes to warm the muscles. Do this thoroughly for a minute or so. Draw the fingers of both hands together up the centre of the calf dividing the muscle bulk in two, do this gently if you have recently run hard as it will be sore. Then grab the whole muscle in each hand and squeeze it, one hand after another up and down the calf, following the instructions below for squeezing and pressing. For a warm-up massage leave this part out. Use it on days after a race to repair hard-worked muscles. Using the fingers of both hands run them slowly together up the back of your calf, one strip at a time repeatedly, until you have covered the whole area. Alternatively you can do this with your knuckles. | ||
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CATHERINE HOLLAND Tel: 0701 7415310 Email: catherine@catherineholland.co.uk | |
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