This post is sponsored by Alleviate Therapy
I love a good fitness challenge whether it’s a series of OrangeTheory workouts or the joy of fundraising, training, and running a race as a St. Jude Hero but as I’ve gotten older, tending to the health of my knees and feet is essential. My 50-year-old self has achieved incredible things, but I want to keep running for charity, skiing black diamonds with my college-age kids, and hiking with my dogs.
Why Alleviate Therapy’s Arch Massager and Knee Blade Are Fitness Must-Haves
These days self-care means paying attention to my knees and feet and tending to them regularly, instead of when flare-ups happen. Fortunately, products in Alleviate Therapy’s Runner’s Knee Essentials and the Foot Performance Essentials allowed me to keep doing what I love without being held back from knee pain and plantar fasciitis.
About Alleviate Therapy
Co-founded by a physical therapist and a former college athlete, Alleviate Therapy believes it’s important to focus on recovery. Physical therapy appointments can be time consuming and expensive, so Alleviate developed products and systems that focus on making musculoskeletal pain relief accessible through digital and physical self-treatment systems that can be done at home.
Preventing Plantar Fasciitis Flare Ups with Alleviate’s Foot Performance Essentials
A few months after I started training for my first half marathon in 2016 I noticed I had foot pain. I mentioned it to a friend training for a marathon and she quickly diagnosed it as plantar fasciitis (PF). She sent me a link to orthotic insoles that have been a staple in my running shoes for 6 half marathons, a 10K, and two 5Ks.
Fast forward to this summer and my foot pain was back. My usual regimen of new running shoes with new orthotic insoles, and regular massages wasn’t enough. I was hesitant to make an appointment with my orthopedist, knowing he’d diagnose a PF flare up and prescribe physical therapy. Having spent time at PT and experiencing mixed success, I hedged my bets and waited, hoping my symptoms wouldn’t sideline me from workouts and runs.
Fortunately, I saw an Instagram post from friend and fellow runner, Jason Greene, who shared he had been having PF flare-ups. His research led him to Alleviate’s Foot Performance Essentials ($136) that was hugely helpful in reducing his foot pain as he trained for the NYC Marathon. If it worked for Jason, I figured it would help me too!
The Foot Performance Essentials Kit is designed to keep hard-working feet in peak condition with three professional-grade tools: Performance Compression Socks, Arch Massager, and Recovery Balm. Each tool is designed to be used before, during, or after training and I’ve found the combination to be hugely helpful in keeping my feet healthy and feeling good for races, workouts, and daily dog walks.
My favorite tool is the Arch Massager. Designed to be used before and after a run or a workout, the Arch Massager is designed to release tension in the feet. I find that the small, rounded hill is great for everyday use and the higher, more pointed, peak provides deep pressure for tissue healing. The side of the pointed peak always feels amazing on my arch!
Nothing feels better than sitting down on the couch at the end of the day and using the peaks and valleys in the design with Recovery Balm to get rid of any tightness in my arch.
The Recovery Balm allows for the arches of my feet to glide smoothly across the textured surface of the Arch Massager. Massaging my feet regularly with the Arch Massager and for a few minutes a night has made all the difference to help my feet feel their best. The targeted relief soothes my feet better than any pressure point or deep tissue massage I’ve had in the past and it’s great to be able to get this relief in the comfort of my home on a regular basis.
The compact size of the Arch Massager also means it’s travel friendly and great to pack for races or to keep feet feeling great on a vacation that requires a lot of walking. The 4 legs fold out and tuck back into the base and feature grippy feet to keep the massager in place while you apply pressure.
The Foot Performance Essentials also comes with Performance Compression Socks. Compression socks can be worn during or after a workout to prevent fluid accumulation and reduce soreness. Alleviate’s compression socks provide powerful 20+ mmHg compression all the way down to the foot for relief but are also stretchy and comfortable enough to wear all day.
I tend to wear Birkenstocks as long as I can tolerate sandals so I’m not big on wearing socks in warm weather months. However, now that the weather is colder, I like wearing the Performance Compression Socks.
How the Runner’s Knee Essentials Helped My Knee Pain
Between age, a torn meniscus in my left knee, and a ski accident that hurt my right, my knees aren’t what they used to be! Since they’re a critical part of my body for mobility, regular use of Runner’s Knee Essentials has helped my knee feel better and get stronger. Runner’s Knee Essentials consists of two products: the Massage Blade and their app-based Guided Recovery Program.
The Massage Blade is a brushed aluminum blade, designed to replicate a physical therapist’s hand for an effective therapeutic massage. At first, I was a little intimidated by trying to use the Blade on my own, but the Guided Recovery Program demonstrated how to use the blade for muscle activation and recovery in the first level of the six-level exercise program.
I like to do quick, light strokes for a few minutes before my OrangeTheory workouts or a run. This warms up my muscles, especially the VMO, a muscle inside of my leg. This helps activate the right muscles to work instead of compensating in other areas. After a workout, I use the blade for deeper, slower strokes to aid in recovery. By spending time doing both, I’m breaking up tension and helping injured tissue heal so I feel better faster. This method is like a deep pressure massage you might experience at a PT appointment but it’s nice to do it in the comfort in your own home, as needed, and at your own pace!
In addition to teaching you how to use the Massage Blade, the Guided Recovery Program is an exercise program that helps you build strength progressively in just 15 minutes a day. Exercises target your lower body’s kinetic chain to grow strength and stability that are important to support the load knees carry. This ultimately helps Runner’s Knee pain from flaring up.
I thought about taking my Massage Blade with me to Memphis for my recent run during St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend and although the website says it can be carried anywhere, I wasn’t exactly sure if it was TSA carry-on friendly. I reached out to Alleviate to ask and while they said an employee has flown with it before, I decided to leave it at home because I didn’t want to risk losing it. It’s become THAT important to me!
Summary
You might think Alleviate’s Arch Massager and Knee Blade look funny, but they truly work. I love how easy it was to learn how to use them effectively, so I’d be race ready for another St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
I am amazed to have found at-home solutions that take me less time than physical therapy sessions and don’t require co-pays. You may feel some initial shock by seeing the price of the Runner’s Knee Essentials and the Performance Essentials Kit but they’re a worthwhile investment if you suffer from knee pain or plantar fasciitis, especially if you consider your time and cost of co-pays for visiting your orthopedist and physical therapist.
Enter to Win Foot Performance Essentials from Alleviate Therapy
Alleviate Therapy is providing Foot Performance Essentials kit as an Instagram giveaway. To enter to win the kit that includes an Arch Massager, Recovery Balm, and Performance Compression Socks ($136 value), visit this Instagram Reel and follow the required steps to enter to win. Good luck!
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Giveaway limited to the contiguous United States only. Giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Instagram or Facebook. Giveaway will be closed at 11:59pm PT on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Winners will be announced by Tech Savvy Mama and Alleviate Therapy by 12:00pm PT on Friday, December 19, 2024. DM for questions and official rules.
Products provided by Alleviate Therapy for review purposes. All opinions are my own and no additional compensation was received for this post or for hosting a giveaway on Instagram.
