I love massages. Even though I usually go for a sports or deep tissue massage, I do it to relax, not to relieve tension or muscle aches.
But as I’ve become more active and have been regularly working out and running, I’ve discovered the value, actually the need, to work the knots out of my muscles. It’s become an important part of my recovery so I can be ready to work out or run the next day.
In the past I’ve relied on stretching. But as I push my body a bit further, I don’t think this is doing enough to get me loosened up.
So I’ve now turned to these handy pain relief products from Moji. I’ve likely seen these in the stores for years, but their importance didn’t hit me until recently as I find myself wanting to relieve the pain in my quads and calves after a long run.
Moji Mini PRO
The Mini PRO from Mojo is a handheld massager with spheres (rolling balls) that act as pressure points to relieve tension in sore muscles. To use it, it’s almost like putting your hand on a child’s sandal or flip flop, only this has little balls on the bottom. The strap is adjustable so it’ll fit any size hand and it’s bendable so you can roll it over shoulders and legs and it will curve to fit.
You don’t have to apply a lot of pressure for it to work. Just a small amount is enough to feel it breaking up the knots. And though it’s easy enough to apply the pressure to yourself, I find that Jon often asks me to use this on his shoulders and neck. 🙂
Available on Amazon for about $30.
Moji Foot
Perhaps even more important to me now as I train for a marathon is the Moji Foot. Similar to the Moji Mini PRO, the Moji Foot uses spheres that you roll your foot over to relieve stress.
I can attest this is a great pain reliever after a long run (my longest thus far is 12 miles!). I figure with regular use, I’ll be able to avoid long term issues.
Available on Amazon for about $40.
*****
In short, these are not going to take the place of Eric, my massage therapist at the Hyatt 8. But they are small enough to travel with and they do work in a pinch at night as I stream episodes of Homeland.
I have a number of friends who use foam rollers to work the knots out of their quads or calves after a workout but haven’t ever tried one of those. And truthfully, they aren’t nearly as conducive to travel as the Moji products are!
Be Bold,
Beth
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Disclosure: Moji provided these items to me for review. Regardless, everything I have said in the post reflects my honest opinions.
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