I know what most of you are thinking, “Roll my muscles with a hard object? No, thank you!”. “Will it hurt me?”. At first… yes, it will. Yet, the bigger question is, why do my muscles hurt once I apply pressure to them? And the short answer is that, our bodies are exceptionally efficient at creating compensations in our muscles systems to numb (hide) the pain from our conscious.
If we were aware of the all the knots, kinks, short and long muscles in our bodies, we would not get much done in a day. Because our minds would be continually drawn to these nagging muscles. Begging to be nursed back to a functional, healthy state. Thankfully, we have a compassionate brain and it responds to the most urgent muscle strain that’s affecting our concentration and/ or posture.
So where does thePnut XL have a place in all of this muscle confusion? Well, it acts like Cupid, bringing attention to your nervous system to love your muscles. In other words, it’s a prompt. The same way a massage therapist brings your attention - your nervous system - to an “injured” muscle, thePnut XL (or thePnut) brings attention to the affected area as well.
Now that begs the question, “how does applying pressure to my muscles actually help me?”. Said another way, “what benefits do my muscles receive from thePnut XL?”. I’m glad you asked…
First off, by applying pressure we send signals to our system to start the healing process. Which means more blood (and lymph?) will circulate in this region, carrying oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissue. It will also cart away free-radicals and lactic acid that have been pooling here, slowing your muscle’s recovery. A lot of the fresh oxygen that’s being supplied to your sore muscle, will be from your deeper breathing. Something most of us instinctively do when introduced to pain. If this isn’t you, I highly suggest taking longer, slower breaths. It will simultaneously alkalize your body, getting rid of cortisol that’s built up from the stress of your muscles being inflamed, AND naturally reduce any strong sensations you may be feeling in your muscles.
Secondly, it introduces ourselves to our muscles. “Knotted-quad, meet Kellan. Kellan, meet your calcified, tight-lump of a leg…”. So you’re saying that, most of us don’t know our muscles? Correct. I have spent a good portion of my short life in my head, disconnected from my body. It’s weird to say, yet it’s true. How many of us are proactively, intelligently speaking to our bodies, below the neck, on a regular basis? Not many… We react and respond to our bodies, when we have to eat, use the washroom, move from one point to another, or medicate to silence the nagging muscles.
Whereas, if we have short, periodic chats with our muscles - through rolling, kneading, stretching, and facilitating ranges of motion. We begin to learn how restricted our movements are, that the “pain” we’re feeling is actually a signal from our nervous system, and that we can prevent - yes, I said PREVENT - most of our injuries.
That’s how we can Free Your Muscles. By getting back to a state where we’re nurturing our muscles - thus our posture - and not coping with our pains. Slowly edging towards an equilibrium where we can be our better selves. A person who, if is 10% more focused, faster, and stronger, can play longer with their children, can crush their next run, or even shorten their workload by having a more effective word day. Now that’s the person I want to be!
