Tips to Relax key muscles between games / practices

[desmond]

My daughter (15) plays (practice, lessons, camps, matches) often and hard. Her muscles tend to get quite tense after a few sessions, typically shoulder / arm / neck. She does some stretching after most sessions.

What are some effective ways of keeping this at bay? Looking both for things she can do between sessions (stretch? yoga?), with help (massage?), or during the practice or match sessions themselves.

Thanks!

[GeoffWilliams]

. Carry anti cramp supplements: A natural anti cramp solution is this recipe I have developed: Pink sea salt, red clover, sage, nettles. http://www.finepluck.co.uk/shop/prod...age_red_clover This will naturally stop electrolyte loss, and water loss from sweating too much.



anti cramp recipe: red clover, sage, nettles, salt
A massage stick will also help with leg soreness after play. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=massa...9,r:3,s:0,i:84

http://www.pacificbotanicals.com/store/home.php

http://www.finepluck.co.uk/shop/prod...age_red_clover

Take it before and during and after the match if you win and have another match to play that day or the next. Just like a normal drink during change overs. Start an hour and a half ahead of time, to make sure the blood stream is saturated with the electrolytes you are going to lose during a bad match. Also cuts down on after match soreness, which also is aided by massaging the legs with a massage stick. This works better than quinine, or pickle juice, due to it replenishing the lost substances in blood stream, and combating the lactic acid streams from active muscles. Also stops water loss due to the combo. Drink warm out of thermos for instant relief and preventive. Place the herbs in a pot, boil water first, let seep, pour into thermos, add pink sea salt in proportion, and you will not cramp that day, nor the next day. It's pretty much a miracle cramp cure, and those who do suffer, you know what pain I am talking about: death pain.

I have tried: bananas, chinese herbs, drugs like quinine, peaches, nuts, grapes, fruit, salt, cramp bark herbs, and everything in between, such as ibuprofin, aspirin, etc., etc., etc., as someone who suffers so bad from cramps that I cannot win, nor win the next match if I gut it out during a hot long match.

This works, flat out stops them cold, and gives you more confidence, that you will not hurt, adds to stamina, adds to performance, is totally safe, legal, and good for you. Quinine also stops cramps, and while it's at it: causes death in some, kills off immune systems, cause ringing in the ears, cynchoncism, blurred vision, etc. 93 dead/yr. us from quinine useage, but it stops cramps. You can get it only from Canadian blue sky pharmacy, with a doc's ok only. Costs a lot now. This is better than just pickle juice, which only works from the salt, not the pickles anyway. Buy the ingredients from botanical supply online.

It cuts down on water loss due to sweating.

[johnyandell]

I recommend swiming combined if possible with hot tub. Get in the tub and do some stretching in there if possible. Now swim a couple of easy laps. Back in the hot tub again. Repeat!

I liked to do it before matches too. You feel a huge difference in your body afterwards.

[DougEng]

Relaxation, Recovery between Sessions/Practices

My daughter (15) plays (practice, lessons, camps, matches) often and hard. Her muscles tend to get quite tense after a few sessions, typically shoulder / arm / neck. She does some stretching after most sessions.

What are some effective ways of keeping this at bay? Looking both for things she can do between sessions (stretch? yoga?), with help (massage?), or during the practice or match sessions themselves.

Thanks!

Massages are great but can be expensive. John suggestions of hot tub and swimming is good. Yoga is great. Relaxation with stretching at the end and start of the day helps. Foam rollers are great. She can practice the Jacobson Progression Relaxation Method...and shorten it. Or the simple Relaxation Response (Benson).

Personally I have similar problems. My techniques I used to do was deep tissue massage (great feeling, but short lasting), hot tub, stretching, relaxing (lying down). I started using a foam roller which really works well with legs but not as well with the back and shoulders. So I use a RumbleRoller now which gets in deeper to shoulders (she may find it uncomfortable). Best thing and now I don't get deep tissue massages as the RumbleRoller does almost the same. However, our trainers know nothing about it (now they do since I mentioned using them). Also ok is the "Bed of Nails".

Essentially she probably needs some myofascial release and massage and foam rollers do it well.

Also helpful is the Recovery Project, produced by USTA (Sport Science) a couple years ago which is available to the public.

Go to:

http://www.usta.com/tennisrecovery/

There's the complete book and then there's the player's guide. Obviously she'll want the players version (short and simple) but you might want to access the complete version as a reference.

Best,
Doug