Photo: Kai Wheeler.
By the end of a marathon session, we all know the feeling. That sensation when you can hardly lift your arms anymore. You reach a point where you kind of just swing your arms out to the side to keep paddling, to minimize the lifting involved. Your lats are toast, and the next morning when you get out of bed, the entirety of your shoulders are either stiff, sore, cracking, or a combination of the three. It’s a satisfying feeling to surf all day when the waves are good, but man, do your shoulders pay for it.
The good news is that there’s something you can actually do to help your shoulders bounce back. This lat release technique works wonders, and it’s simple to master. All you need is a lacrosse ball (or a ball similar in firmness) and a wall. The technique releases trigger points of tension throughout the muscle, which allows you deal with the soreness at its source. Stretch out the shoulders afterwards, and you’ll be ready to paddle back out in no time.
Video Credit: Kai Wheeler.
