This is my 37th winter, and I am sore as hell. Injuries accrued in my twenties听are reminding me of the mortality I ignored when I was young. But I still have plenty of objectives involving skiing and ski mountaineering听that I am working toward听this winter, despite having aged my body in dog years as a young outdoor professional. I entered the season in decent shape, but that doesn鈥檛 make these activities pain-free. But I didn鈥檛 get mad鈥擨 got even.听
The following five products are what I use daily to help recover from skiing and training.
Theragun G3 ($399)
Have you ever wished you could give yourself a deep-tissue massage because your body is grumpy as hell, but you don鈥檛 have the money or time to pay someone? That鈥檚 where percussion massagers come in. 听is so aggressive on its highest setting that I feel sorry for my IT bands, rhomboids, and glutes when I attack them with it. But the G3 is extremely effective at breaking up the tightness I feel in various parts of my legs, shoulders, and back when skinning, lunging, or squatting in the gym. My only complaint is how loud the thing is, even though the company says it鈥檚 its听quietest yet.听
Lacrosse Ball ($3)
In 2018, I called 听鈥the duct tape of recovery tools.鈥 After using it to release the area above my right shoulder blade after it froze up, it鈥檚 proven to be more of a silver bullet. I鈥檝e never had a relaxing session using these superdense plastic balls to break up angry knotted fascia or release a taut muscle, but they are very听effective at making me feel better afterward. Work out an inflamed hamstring after a bell-to-bell ski day and you鈥檒l听know what I am talking about. They cost less than a beer at the bar, and my two-pack has lasted me over five years.听
Oleo CBD ($70)
The CBD market is the Wild West right now鈥攖here are a lot of unknowns and many unsubstantiated claims. While I don鈥檛 know the science behind why it works for me, I do feel notably less sore after I consume some after workouts. It also takes a little edge off my work anxiety, and I sleep better when I take the right supplement. But I鈥檝e felt either spacey or downright ill after some bad CBD-product experiences. I鈥檝e been using 听for more than a year, and it has never made me feel anything but fantastic. I usually mix it with water or add it to the Arma听drink, below.
Arma听Protein Complex听($45)听
I have no intention of using protein shakes to get huge, but I do notice that I am significantly less sore if I get some protein in my system within 30 minutes of a tough workout. 听flavor is as tasty as a milkshake, and the two scoops with the suggested six-ounce serving of water makes it thick and satisfying without a massive amount of liquid to get down.
Gaiam听Restore Muscle Therapy Foam Roller ($25)
听hits a sweet spot in terms of both size and density. At 18 inches, it鈥檚 small enough to sit unnoticed in my office when I鈥檓 not using it, but it鈥檚 also long enough to span my entire lower back when it鈥檚 screaming at me after working out. Density-wise, it isn鈥檛 as harsh as my previous foam roller, and it has just enough give to make a hip-flexor rollout feel more like a massage than a punishment, much appreciated after a session with my lacrosse ball.