We Tried It: The Sprinter Stick

A little over a year ago, a physical therapist told me I needed to work on my IT bands -- they were too tight and affecting my knees. My hamstrings and calves were also a disaster, and the remedy for all of it, she suggested: A foam roller.

I have a serious love/hate relationship the foam roller, but I have a couple of major issues with it. When my arms are all shaky after a workout, it's hard to hold my body juuust right so I can roll my hammies at the proper angle. And, it's big and bulky, so I can't keep one hidden in my living room to use when the mood strikes.

There was another solution out there, however. I'd been hearing about The Stick for ages (after all, it's been winning awards since 1991), but hadn't had a chance to use one until earlier this year, when I attended the PGA Expo. The guys at the booth asked me where I was hurting and gave me a quick demo, after which I was totally intrigued and wanted to learn more about how it worked.

The Stick promises painless myofascial release and trigger point therapy. Basically, when you work your muscles, you're breaking them down, inhibiting blood flow to some areas and creating little tears. When your muscles begin to repair themselves, they develop a build-up of myofascial tissue, which essentially creates knots in your muscle. That affects muscle elasticity, which in turn affects the tendon and the bone, causing you pain.

This is where The Stick comes in. It is essentially a non-motorized bar made up of a semi-rigid core surrounded by independent, inch-long spindles that spin freely. You run it over the affected muscles, changing non-compliant muscles to compliant ones. The Stick releases these knots and trigger points, allowing you to heal more quickly and with less pain.

I started using The Sprinter Stick, which is one of the shorter styles in place of a foam roller and, sometimes, in place of doing proper stretching following a run. I can't quite say that it's "painless," but it hurts a lot less than using a foam roller, and is every bit as effective; in some cases, more so. In addition to using it on my outer hips and thighs, hamstrings, and calves, I've used it on my lower back and my neck. With a little help from a friend, I've been able to use it on my arms, too.

One thing I haven't used it for, but plan to -- warming up. It's supposed to increase blood flow and muscle temperature without you actually moving, and since I'm horrible about warming up before a run (it takes so much time), this could be a great solution.

There are numerous versions of The Stick in different lengths and firmness, ranging from $31.95 to $53.95 (there's even one for your pet). Their Web site will help you determine which will best meet your needs.

The Pros
The Sprinter Stick is portable, affordable, and really easy to use. If you get stuck and aren't sure how to use it for a particular problem, there are plenty of guides on the brand's Web site.

The Cons
It's not magic and using it a couple of times won't automatically solve all of your problems (and yes, I know that should be obvious, but a girl can always hope, right?). I'm not able to massage my back without help because of the shorter size, but that could be easily fixed by ordering the longer size.

The Takeaway
If you suffer from tight or sore muscles after a workout, this could be really beneficial to your recovery. Who knows? You might even cut down on your massage bill.

The GRID is another tool to help you strengthen and stretch!