Few things are better than either sitting in a boat, standing by the shore or on a rock and just casting your line out, some may say. Some of us find peace and tranquility by the water or joy and excitement. But sometimes the catch of the day is a stiff back and sore shoulders rather than a record breaking base. So, maybe it's time to get a massage and cast that pain away!
Though some may think the constant casting motion is to blame. But any fisher would say it's the standing ridged for hours is what gets them stiff. Which is true. Standing upright in a single, steady position is more stressful on muscles then most would think. The fibers are in a fixed contraction making them rigid and "stiff" feeling". By holding the body in the same position you create a tension pattern. And if you don't loosen these now contracted muscle it can lead to pain, decreased circulation or even numbness and tingling.
Stretching before and after every time you fish is the most ideal. You want to move your shoulders and spine in their full range of motion in every direction.
For example:
- Spine
- gently flex the spine by laying on your back and bringing your knees into your chest
- from here slowly twist you spine by bringing your knees to one side and looking to the opposite (do this to both sides)
- laterally flex or "side bend" by sitting upright and placing one palm on the floor and reaching the other up and over (do on both sides)
- Shoulder
- reach your arm across the front of you body
- reach you arm up and bend the elbow reaching the palm between your shoulder blades
- reach your arm down then bend the elbow and reach the palm up between the shoulder blades
When stretching isn't enough or if you are being honest and you just forget or don;t want to a massage is another great option. A massage therapist can manually work out tension from stiff, sore muscles. As well as work out deeper trigger points stretching is unable to resolve.
- Recommended Techniques
- Swedish Massage : improves circulation and soothes sore muscles
- Deep Tissue: breaks up trigger points "knots" deep in muscle bellies
- Thai Massage: a massage or stretching and compressive massage
- Gua Sha: deep muscle stripping with a tool ideal for bound up connective tissue and stubborn knots
