According to a certified osteopath and physiotherapist Tim Allardyce, there are several ways on how to effectively massage yourself. If you want to massage your legs, you can use a foam roller. These massage tools will enable you to exert greater pressure on the sore part but lesser pressure on the hands. If you want to lengthen your muscles, stretching is a great way to do it.
You can perform static stretches for at least 30 seconds. This way you can elongate each group of muscle in your body. It is also important that you relax while you are massaging yourself. It is important to note that if you are tense, your self-massage is of no use and you will not benefit from it.
Another important tip Allardyce said when doing a self-massage is to use a massage lotion or balm instead of oil. He said that oils are messy and are very hard to clean. In addition, it is vital that you focus on trigger points. These are the bump in the tissue of the muscle that feels a little hard than the normal muscle but soft to touch.
Focusing on these areas will greatly lessen the pain. You can also warm them by massaging them while you are in the shower. Muscles that are warm easily loosen up compared to the cold ones. So a warm environment is useful to achieve fast effective relief from pain or sore.