Squash is a game that can be very tough on the body. While many squash players swear by the benefits of a good sports massage, sometimes schedule and cost will limit access to this kind of soft-tissue therapeutic intervention. The option then to be able to use an implement to do this yourself in the comfort of your own home, is an enticing one.
Fortunately, there are a whole range of self-massage recovery tools available now, that give you the ability to do some direct work on tired or aching muscles.
Read on below to find out 5 of our favourite self-massage tools for squash players.
(The photos and links to amazon.co.uk are provided purely for illustrative purposes)
Foam roller
The foam roller is the original self-massage tool, and probably the best known. While there is some debate about how and why it actually helps with recovery, many squash players swear by it as a crucial part of their pre and post-match routine.
There are a large number of tutorial videos and guides available online, which enable you to use the roller to work across a whole range of areas and muscle groups.
Trigger point back massager
This is one of the more obscure items on the list, but the trigger point back massager is a great tool to work on any particular tight knots you have in any hard to reach areas – not just the back, but the feet, shoulders, and neck also.
It can take a bit of trial and error to find the best angles and areas to focus on but is a great solution for hitting awkward areas that some of the other tools on this list often cannot quite resolve.
Rolling stick
The rolling stick is a great self-massage solution for working evenly across large muscle group areas and is of particular use on the quads, calves, and hamstrings.
Working as a kind of rolling pin for the muscles, a lot of athletes use the sticks as a way to flush out their legs during tournaments or periods of heavy training.
Massage gun
For those looking for something a little more geared to the tech-fan, the massage gun is a great new addition to the self-massage tool collection.
While the first wave of these devices were prohibitively expensive, now that the technology is more widespread some surprisingly good quality units can be picked up for a fraction of the price – starting at around £60 for the basic model, as opposed to the close to £600 that the original guns were being sold for.
The trigger point ball
The trigger point ball is perhaps the simplest tool on this list, but it still maintains its own valuable niche due to its versatility and portability.
Where athletes once used tennis balls, lacrosse balls, or hockey balls, many companies are now manufacturing balls designed specifically for self-massage on tight areas of the body. While probably the cheapest item on this list, many squash players consider their use an invaluable recovery aid.
Gary Nisbet
B.Sc.(Hons), CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Dip. FTST
SquashSkills Fitness & Performance Director
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