Rolfing: a technique to tri
By Megan Ranegar
For endurance athletes, what you do between workouts is just as important as
the workout itself. The incorporation of rest, ice, stretch, massage and nutrition
is what turns being an endurance athlete into a full-time job. But try as you
might, the aches and pains that creep up on triathletes are inevitable —
forcing you to dive into the deep end of rehabilitation treatment. Athletes
will try a myriad of techniques to get back on course, taking on a vocabulary
of foreign words like “e-stim” and “diathermy.” But
before becoming fluent in the language of athletic training, there’s a
method of bodywork that really works. Rolfing Structural Integration, a method
of both rehabilitation and injury prevention, is unlike other sports medicine
techniques often used today. Developed by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1940s, this 10-session
bodywork program aims to “reorganize” the body’s connective
tissues. Dr. Rolf referred to her work as Structural Integration. Rolfing professionals,
or “rolfers,” support the idea that gravity — not to mention
miles and miles of pavement pounding — can misalign the body over time.
Rolfing uses physical pressure to realign the body, working to restructure the
body to enhance freedom of movement. Rolfing claims to improve vitality, energy,
flexibility, coordination and, perhaps most importantly, reduce pain.
Local rolfer Frank Epstein uses the technique to help athletes bounce back from
injuries — and keep the aches at bay.
“Changing structure is a very bold idea. It gets people to pay attention
to subtlety in their own body,” says Epstein. His clientele of loyal rolfing
fans includes Ironman champion TJ Tollakson.
“I tried it out in 2009 and was hooked after the first session,”
says Tollakson. “You notice a difference after just one session. When
I look at pictures from before and after, I can really see a difference of my
body and my balance.”
Not just another massage
Rolfing boasts something that a standard massage can’t — manipulation
of the fascia. The fascia is a layer of connective tissue surrounding the muscles,
binding them together.
“Structural Integration is more of an overall concept of the body. We’re
more concerned with the fascia than we are with the muscles. It’s fine
to simply look at a hamstring that’s sore from running, but there are
more areas that are feeding into the injury. It’s looking at a more comprehensive
aspect than local,” says Epstein.
A rolfing session starts with an analysis of the patient’s particular
body structure. Problem areas are assessed to determine how the tissues should
be restructured. Bikers, for example, will often have lateralized quads due
their particular training movements.
“We just try to move things back to the area they’re supposed to
be,” says Epstein.
A rolfer may take before and after pictures during the session as a way to track
progress from session to session. The rolfer will then work using slow, pressured
movements to manipulate the fascia. The rolfer ideally works with the body over
the span of 10 sessions, but clients can choose a lesser number of sessions
depending on their own needs. Each 60 to 75-minute session is spaced about a
week apart. Some athletes, including Tollakson, keep rolfing sessions on their
calendar long after the initial 10 sessions.
“Bodywork is an ongoing process, just like working out. While the majority
of work can be done in 10 sessions, bodywork is never complete. You have to
keep doing it if you want to continually help your body,” says Tollakson.
Results
Rolfing can get you back into the game — or into the pool, onto the bike
and around the track. In addition to reducing pain, rolfing leaves athletes
with a better body structure. Better posture leads to more efficient workouts,
lower times and happier athletes. Whether you’re struggling with training
injuries or hoping to prevent them from springing up, rolfing is a valuable
technique to “tri”.
For more information about rolfing, visit Frank Epstein’s website at www.rolfmethodbodywork.com.
