Body... Recovery

One of the most-talked about "discoveries" this year, at least for amateur athletes, has been "recovery". Professional athletes have been using cycles of four-days-on, two-days-off for years, but how many amateur athletes have the time or patience to let their bodies just do nothing for two days, when an hour-long work-out in the morning is exceptional rather than minimal (especially those of us who have families and jobs that require physical activity)? Likewise for massage, saunas (who but a pro has the time or money?), and relaxation techniques.

But now there are some really good products and techniques on the market that don't cost a lot of money, and us amateurs can take advantage of them for a few minutes a day and still reap some significant benefits. My favorite in the past has been zen-style meditation with a decidedly Christian twist (I taught myself how to clear my mind before God seized me, but now that I am His I meditate on His Word, or pray to relax, rather than focusing on something meaningless or trying to find the "core" of my "being"), but this year I've been really impressed with a product called simply "The Stick" (http://www.thestick.com/ ). (I've got the link on my main page as well as here in this post.)

Maybe sometime I'll tell the story on here of how I intersected paths with that of a deer last year, on April 17th, 2008 (yes, I definitely do sympathize with Matt Lauer), but for now let's just say that the result of that crash left my left hip and lower back very stiff. Just running The Stick over those areas for a few minutes each day has helped bring back some flexibility and feeling, and the results for my legs have been significant as well. I actually don't worry as much about pushing too hard on my strength-interval days, because I know that I can get rid of most of the muscle soreness in my legs on that same day with The Stick, and what remains is usually gone by the third day I use it.

I got my "travel" model from an on-line retailer, but lots of sporting-goods stores and bike shops are starting to carry them (just google "the stick massage" to see lots of places to buy). I recommend the travel size as a good starter, since it costs less than $35 most places and is easy to shove into a gym-bag or suit-case, or carry with you in the car (using The Stick while driving is by no means recommended or endorsed by me -- use it once you get to your destination, or while your spouse drives!).

As God tells us in His Word (remembering the Sabbath day is part of The Ten Commandments and Old Testament law, and Jesus expounded on God's reasons for the Sabbath in the New Testament), "down" days are required of us as humans, and smart recovery depends on us taking the time to treat our bodies well. The Stick is a great invention, but it really just makes use of God's magnificent design of our bodies, including their ability to heal themselves and make themselves stronger.