I believe in massaging your muscles. In a perfect world, I would go to a masseuse every couple days for a professional to do this for me, but this is the real world. There are a lot of massage tools available on the market today that will keep your wallet satisfied. However, there is a lot to choose from:Manual vs electrical, roller balls vs wooden knobbles, body bone vs trigger point, and the list goes on and on. So how do you choose?
It's all about preference and if you aren't sure exactly what you want I recommend going with a manual tool for portability. If you want something to really target an area like a knot in your neck or plantar fasciitis in your foot/feet go with something where you can really control the pressure level. Meaning, don't buy a massaging rope that has you pull across and over the neck, it will hit areas that may not have been sore to being with. For pain like roller massagers or trigger point massagers are great.
My favorite is The Stick. It is the perfect size to stow in your gym back or in your closet next to your running shoes as I reminder after your workout. So what is this thing? Just like its name, it is a stick that looks very similar to a rolling pin and you use it the same way, but on your muscles. It is amazing for relieving cramps and working sore muscles. Best is, you choose how much or how little pressure is applied and unlike a foam roller, there are handles.
For a complete selection of different massage tools listed above, click here.
