SELF MASSAGE: UPPER LEG

 

Before the race: how to do it

Flushing: Warm muscles by stroking from knee to hip one flat hand after the other all around your leg for about 30 seconds.

Squeezing/pressing: Beginning with the front above the knee take handfuls of muscle press between your thumbs and fingers then let go, work along from bottom to top squeezing, up the centre and then up each side of the quads: both together or one hand on each side for the sides. Two hands together for the top and hamstrings behind. Try this out until you find a comfortable method.

Do each section twice, pressing in towards the thigh bone the second time.

Now when you grab each handful instead of squeezing together draw your thumbs across the muscle towards your fingers, move up each leg doing this then repeat, drawing fingers to thumbs across the fibres the other way.

Shaking

Take a centre portion of the main muscle in your hand and shake, how hard you do it is up to you, a sort of wake-up shake for about 10 seconds. Repeat on different areas.

Lastly some tapping

Using alternate loose fists tap all along the muscles from knee to hip. To reach your hamstrings raise your knee, reach around your leg, use fists moving upwards.

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