GROWING YOUNG WITH RAY PRODUCTS
The following products have a long history with me and are important to my growing young efforts.
As an active senior who plays singles tennis several times a week, along with bicycling, aqua paddle aerobics, hiking, rebounding, etc., I often experience muscle soreness, causing pain and mobility difficulties.
I have no patience for extended rest and recovery, so I immediately become proactive in healing my injuries using self massage.
 |
| Ray uses these products frequently and takes them with him when he travels. Foam Roller, Theracane, K Tape, Massage Stick and Traumeel. |
As an active senior who plays singles tennis several times a week, along with bicycling, aqua paddle aerobics, hiking, rebounding, etc., I often experience muscle soreness, causing pain and mobility difficulties.
I have no patience for extended rest and recovery, so I immediately become proactive in healing my injuries using self massage.
Self-Massage of sore and injured muscles and connective tissues can accelerate healing and recovery. The next best thing to the services of a massage therapist are your own hands if you can comfortably reach those needy areas. You have two great advantages:
1. Only you really know what areas need your focus; and
2. You are able to get some great exercise for your fingers, hands, wrist and forearms, especially if you try to use both hands somewhat equally.
1. Only you really know what areas need your focus; and
2. You are able to get some great exercise for your fingers, hands, wrist and forearms, especially if you try to use both hands somewhat equally.
However, for hard to reach places,
a THERACANE is outstanding!
THERACANE
 |
| Theracane |
If you experience shoulder and back pain which is beyond your reach, a Theracane is an excellent solution. It is designed to easily provide pressure and relief to swollen and painful areas in hard to reach places such as the shoulders and back.
I don't remember when and how I found and bonded with a Theracane. Sometime in the past 10 years, it became a daily companion. Merrilee calls it my "little buddy" and jokes about "little buddy" being a threesome in our bed.
 |
| Ray enjoys little buddy in bed. Quilt by Cara Ludlow |
The Theracane has become critical in allowing me to continue to play tennis because it effectively irons out the somewhat chronic soreness in my shoulders.
FOAM ROLLER
 |
| Foam rollers come in a variety of colors and sizes. |
I have been personally involved with foam rollers even longer than my marriage to Theracane. In fact, I have even left several behind on our travels, kind of like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed planting foam rollers where ever I go.
Foam rollers originated in Physical Therapy and gradually spread to fitness facilities and have become standard equipment for serious and professional sports participants.
Foam rolling is a floor activity as we regress to our first year of life before we stood and walked.
(I have read about Seniors exercise classes that involve getting down and up and crawling and rolling about on a padded floor, which is great for flexibility and rejuvenation.)
The following are some basic foam rolls for the big muscle groups.
Foam rolling is a floor activity as we regress to our first year of life before we stood and walked.
(I have read about Seniors exercise classes that involve getting down and up and crawling and rolling about on a padded floor, which is great for flexibility and rejuvenation.)
The following are some basic foam rolls for the big muscle groups.
 |
| Upper back/Thoracic spine |
 |
| Lower back |
 |
| Glute/Hamstring |
 |
| Hamstrings |
 |
| Calf |
 |
| IT band |
 |
| Hip flexer/quadriceps |
THE MASSAGE STICK
 |
| The Massage Stick |
This massage stick is more user friendly and less strenuous than crawling around on the floor balancing on a foam roller.
It is excellent for a quick massage of the legs prior to and following exercise,
and I use it nightly before bedtime to massage the bottoms of my feet for relaxation to promote sleep.
and I use it nightly before bedtime to massage the bottoms of my feet for relaxation to promote sleep.
Click on video for demonstration
KINESIOLOGY TAPE
 |
| Kinesiology Tape or K Tape |
I became aware of "K TAPE" while watching professional tennis on TV. I noted that many of the players were wearing this tape at various places on their legs and shoulders and were playing well with their injuries.
So, a few years ago, as I was struggling to continue playing tennis in spite of significant leg pain, I bought a roll of K Tape from a Walgreens store.
My first use of the K Tape was one morning when I was scheduled to play tennis at 9am. At 8am, I was unable to walk because of intense pain in the quadriceps and IT band of my right leg. So I stretched strips of K Tape over the painful areas...and the pain magically disappeared! I could walk, run and bounce on my toes with no pain!
At 9am, I was painlessly scampering around the tennis court.
More recently, I experienced excruciating pain while attempting to hit a tennis backhand. I applied K Tape to the injured area and was immediately able to swing through without pain.
K Tape does not help all injuries, but is almost magical in many situations.
My first use of the K Tape was one morning when I was scheduled to play tennis at 9am. At 8am, I was unable to walk because of intense pain in the quadriceps and IT band of my right leg. So I stretched strips of K Tape over the painful areas...and the pain magically disappeared! I could walk, run and bounce on my toes with no pain!
At 9am, I was painlessly scampering around the tennis court.
More recently, I experienced excruciating pain while attempting to hit a tennis backhand. I applied K Tape to the injured area and was immediately able to swing through without pain.
K Tape does not help all injuries, but is almost magical in many situations.
TRAUMEEL
 |
| Traumeel |
We were introduced to Traumeel cream by Dr. Joe Pugleasa, a good friend and orthopedic physician from Uxbridge, Massachusetts.
We unexpectedly encountered Joe while awaiting a plane transfer in the Atlanta airport. An expert skier, he was on his way to provide orthopedic services to the U.S. Olympic ski team. His parting words were "try Traumeel", a new analgesic creme developed in and available from Germany.
My first experience with Traumeel occurred one morning when I awakened with a sore neck. I applied a dab of Traumeel to the painful areas and the pain literally melted away.
We unexpectedly encountered Joe while awaiting a plane transfer in the Atlanta airport. An expert skier, he was on his way to provide orthopedic services to the U.S. Olympic ski team. His parting words were "try Traumeel", a new analgesic creme developed in and available from Germany.
My first experience with Traumeel occurred one morning when I awakened with a sore neck. I applied a dab of Traumeel to the painful areas and the pain literally melted away.
Since that time, I have used Traumeel almost daily for at least two years. I had tried several over-the-counter muscular pain relievers-- Bio Freeze and Sombra, but none of them measure up to Traumeel.
An analgesic creme will not impact a deep muscle injury, but Traumeel certainly helps alleviate the pain of superficial muscles, ligaments and tendons.
RECOMMENDED READINGS
"CORE PERFORMANCE"
by Mark Verstegen
Written over a decade ago, this book has been my exercise bible. As a Personal (Fitness) Trainer, it has been a great asset in designing total fitness programs for clients and myself.
"A YEAR OF NO SUGAR"
by Eve O. Schaub
In our anti-sugar post, "Do Sports Stars Endorse
Obesity," we recommended this true life story about the trials and tribulations of a family trying survive without eating sugar for a year. Entertaining! Informative! Motivational!
by Eve O. Schaub
In our anti-sugar post, "Do Sports Stars Endorse
Obesity," we recommended this true life story about the trials and tribulations of a family trying survive without eating sugar for a year. Entertaining! Informative! Motivational!
"THE CHINA STUDY"
by T. Colin Campbell, PhD & Thomas M. Campbell II
by T. Colin Campbell, PhD & Thomas M. Campbell II
Just prior to my 70th birthday, this book dramatically changed my life forever. Before reading this book, I believed that my dedication to fitness was singularly the primary prerequisite to my goal of healthful longevity.
The message in this book blew my mind. I learned that I could exercise until the cows came home and still be susceptible to dying from heart disease or cancer (the 2 major killers in our nation) within the next 2 decades of my life...if I continued with my lifelong SAD (Standard American Diet) emphasizing processed and highly sugared products, animals and their products such as meat, dairy and eggs.
The highly researched China Study compared the diets of many communities throughout the world and collected health and longevity data to present a strong argument for avoiding an animal based diet in favor of a plant based (vegan) diet if good health and longevity is desired.
This book caused me to give up all those tasty steaks, burgers, barbecued ribs and chicken, bacon,cheesy pizzas, omelets, pies and ice cream to mention just a few of my subterranean cravings.
The payoff for me is that after 6 years of a vegan diet, I am healthier than ever and take no medications. I no longer live in fear of heart attacks and cancer, which is a common plight of many Americans.
"SERVE TO WIN" by Novak Djokovic
One of the first publications to create public awareness about the health dangers of GLUTEN resulting in a surge of gluten free products in the marketplace.
We will elaborate on gluten in a future post.
