recovery after sport

The power walker and aching Legs

Leg recovery using an environmentally friendly recovery system

Power walkers are slightly different from race walkers, there are not so many rules and protocols concerning the sport or the body type needed to do it and anyone can take part no matter what skills you have-As long as you can walk!

The benefits of power walking on health are immense are huge without the stresses connected with race walking-there are magazines and websites about it that cover techniques, equipment, events, and clubs, so I can't add anything new here and am not going to try to do it, but for those interested I have added some links at the bottom

You do not have to get this bad to need a recovery program

My area of expertise is in leg recovery of ultra distance marathon runners and walkers

Recovery

Whether you are power walking, speed walking or fitness walking, recovery is important because you have a normal working, domestic, study or any other life after it and you need to be able to continue with as little inconvenience as possible-even if you may have pushed the limits too far and finished up sore, and stiff

Most power walkers are unable to access the many sports and allied health professionals such as physical therapists, coaches, doctors, or massage therapists who can deal with recovery problems so they are pretty much on their own in this area

Recovery does not need a science degree

It just needs an understanding of how the body works and a way to use that knowledge

• The body recovers itself-the recoverer is just there to assist or facilitate that

• No matter how good the therapist-the last man who could heal with his hands using touch died 2000 years ago

Massage is one of the most commonly used (and cheapest) forms of recovery from stiffness and soreness, and it is one that if used inappropriately can cause damage that may take some time to recover from

To illustrate my point-I recently officiated as the recovery person at a 24 hour 100 mile event, I have my own area slightly away from the track where people come in when they have pushed their boundaries too far, and I am usually kept busy from about the 12 hour mark

I did not know there was a rogue therapist further around the track pulling the walkers off until one of the sports trainers on a walk around caught him digging into someones muscles and reported what he saw to the official in charge

It was too late for her, the damage had been done, and she had a bad injury to her buttock muscles which made it impossible to continue walking-her event had finished and she went off home devastated-will she recover from the damage caused to do any walking again in the sport she loves?

She may, she may not

It turns out he was a qualified massage therapist, but had only worked with huge football players, and while he may have been good in that area, did not have the slightest idea on the problems walkers face-he could not adapt to recovery of slightly built walkers who had just pushed things too far

If someone is considering massage, they should be aware of what is happening; using the example from Sandra Brown to stress how important an appropriate approach to muscles is

"The second tear (at least I have matching legs with old tears on both sides) was caused, to my great annoyance at the time, by an overenthusiastic physio who was supposed to be helping me to warm up gently before a 24 hour race and got carried away. I am now more wary of having physio at any time, and make sure that I stay in control, by saying at the outset what I want and don't want to be done to me. Having never had a persistent injury (my varied training pattern means that any niggles have the chance to heal quickly, rather than get hammered and go critical,) I have never had regular physio or a steady relationship of trust with any physiotherapist who knew me and my needs. The closest I have come to this was receiving massage from Michael Gillan during the Nanango (Queensland) 1000-mile race in 1996. I had no hesitation in having a massage from Michael again at the end of the Melbourne 100 miles walk in 1999. Michael's approach is very gentle at all times, and always works with the athlete and puts the athlete in control, thus minimizing the risk of harm and maximizing the benefit.'
(Source:http://www.surreywalkingclub.org.uk/Training?Advice/Articles/training_for_ultras_by_sandra_br.htm#Training/forUltras_SB)

Many power walkers go into fun runs etc. but if you go and are tempted to try a massage, watch the therapists first and see whether they are asking questions of the person they are working with and communicating what they are intending to do, or whether they are just doing what they want to on the theory that they know what is best for the person on the table

SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder
1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder

By understanding that the body is recovering itself, and using the muscles by working with and not working on them to facilitate this, a faster injury free recovery can be achieved

Here I am giving a demonstration of leg recovery in Denmark using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

What makes Light Manual Muscle Relaxation so different from other recovery systems?

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation combines a sound medical physiological based theory with simple movement to offer a practical ongoing system for self recovery

Dr Guyton offers the theoretical solution to the problem of aching legs and Light Manual Muscle Relaxation offers the practical, tested, simple, oil free, environmentally friendly version
'Pumping caused by external Compression of the Lymphatics'
Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 (p. 182)

It is an alternative stripped down basic tool which uses the muscles to work with themselves rather than relying on the skills of someone who works on them

This model has many benefits for someone who has to take the place of a skilled therapist when there is a shortage of them or there is not the financial ability to afford the real thing

You can use aimless guesswork and prod and poke and just move the legs in an aimless fashion and hope what you are doing is working and to some extent any movement is better than none

Or you can use planned and structured movement that is based on medical physiology and been tested on many ultra marathon runs and walks around the world that takes into account the problems of the client and makes the most of any movement restrictions placed on them

My working area at Antibes 6 Jour Event

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-the massage-lite recovery system

Using an environmentally friendly pro-active leg recovery system is easier than you think when you learn how to use the muscles to work on themselves

Look at the photo of my work area at a 24 hour run-how many towels and bottles of oil do you see?

None because the latest in non-polluting, non-technical method of leg recovery techniques is being used

Manual on the system $20

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-massage-lite-any other way is just a luxury-or not necessary

Power Walker Recovery

Contact Michael michael@aching-legs-relief.com