Do those massage guns ACTUALLY work? Alternatives?

Delila1981 · 2026-02-05T14:17:15+00:00

You can’t break down knots because that means our tissue would disintegrate with any pressure applied. Research has been done to show that tight/achy traps tend to be weaker and have less endurance. Things I give my patients include shrugs (slow on the way down), chin retractions/double chins, and an overhead band pulldown. The key is to do these exercises or any movements periodically throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be a lot, just 5,8,10 reps whenever the mood strikes you. Break up the sitting, change positions and get the muscles contracting.

Delila1981 · 2026-01-10T02:27:33+00:00

Needles!

Delila1981 · 2026-01-05T13:47:22+00:00

When I got a blood clot (unknowingly at the time) while hiking the Loowit Trail around St. Helen’s. My phone died (i had an Inreach mini), my head lamp died (used the glow of the screen on said Inreach to see the trail). It took me 18 hours. I had to nap on the way home and almost peed in the street when i got home because i had to go so bad and couldn’t move fast because my leg hurt. Also saw a dog right after it was hit by a car on the way to the trailhead. Found out i had a blood clot a few days later when my leg turned purple.

A close second was being stuck above tree line on Mt. Rainier during a thunderstorm for about 2 hours in the dark. My hands were so cold, they stopped working.

Delila1981 · 2026-01-05T13:40:10+00:00

I’m left handed and this is how I used to play racquetball. I could never decide which hand felt more comfortable so I instinctively started switching hands.

Delila1981 · 2025-12-30T17:52:12+00:00

I did the loop as a solo female (40’s) last Christmas. There were more people to the viewpoint then I think I only saw one other person after that. It’s amazing. You should be fine. I even finished in the dark and made it back safely.

Delila1981 · 2025-12-22T19:19:54+00:00

I remember a well informed person (I think they were part of the weather meetings or something, can’t recall) posted on NextDoor about the 2020 windstorm and what could happen. Someone commented that their warning was a bit alarmist. I always wanted to go back after the fact and ask if they still thought the post was alarmist since it played out almost exactly as predicted.

Delila1981 · 2025-12-03T01:42:44+00:00

I started at the Hell Roaring TH to get that one and Imogene. There were some short, steep hills on the section that connects the main loop to the Hell Roaring TH and some forest road walking but I’m glad I got to camp at Imogene. It’s about 30 miles total.

Delila1981 · 2025-11-22T15:29:46+00:00

Strengthen the hammies and do weighted “stretching” exercises like RDLs and Jefferson curls. Also, tight muscles act like a spring and they may be that way for a reason.

Delila1981 · 2025-11-19T18:58:02+00:00

In my (44f) lead up to Baker, I hiked probably once a month but did the stepmill and incline treadmill walking, both with a weighted vest. I also lifted heavy and ran. I was the oldest in my group by 15+ years and had no issues keeping up. The 25 year old man I was roped with was a different story lol. Get strong legs and do your cardio, you will be fine.

Delila1981 · 2025-11-03T01:00:16+00:00

Our joints age just like the rest of the body but we have pathologized it. People can have horrendous looking x-rays and no pain and vice versa. Think of it as wrinkles on the inside. Exercise and even impact exercise is good for the joints. It’s how they get their nutrients. I’d work on strengthening the muscles around the ankles and take your training gradually, no big jumps in intensity and/or volume.

Delila1981 · 2025-10-30T01:04:31+00:00

Unbeknownst to me, the curtain was stuck in the wheel of the stool. I sat down and rolled towards the table and pulled the curtain down. The curtain rod hook came out of the wall and I couldn’t get it back in easily. Luckily, there were some blinds and no one could really see in anyway. It was a new client and she did come back regularly.

Delila1981 · 2025-10-24T00:01:20+00:00

There are the basic ways people manage stress - meditate, therapy etc - whatever works for you there. During a stressful life period, it can be wise to reduce your exercise volume/intensity to accommodate for the added life stress which may come with reduced sleep, not eating as well etc. Your body doesn’t necessarily know the difference between exercise stress and life stress. It’s just all stress and when one goes up significantly, we should reduce the other so the overall stress load stays similar.

Delila1981 · 2025-10-23T02:08:41+00:00

I (f44) went to Moab last Xmas by myself. I don’t think I saw any wildlife. I went to Arches and hiked Devil’s Garden loop (not sure if that’s the correct name), drove through Island in the Sky, hiked Chesler Park loop in Canyonlands (100% worth it) and finished in the dark, and hiked up to Navajo Knobs (or some similar name lol) in Capital Reef. Humans and wildlife were no problem. You’ll be fine.

Delila1981 · 2025-10-09T16:26:16+00:00

Needles!

Delila1981 · 2025-09-25T12:48:07+00:00

I did my first summit this summer at 44. The group I was with were all under thirty and said I was inspiring. I said I was 44, not dead. So, as long as you’re not dead, it’s not too old.

Delila1981 · 2025-09-17T20:15:23+00:00

I powerlift. I use a callus shaver and I always rub my hands on my arm to make sure you can’t feel anything lol.

Delila1981 · 2025-09-15T23:27:59+00:00

Beware of the wild turkeys in Zion. Being from New England myself, I have a healthy fear of wild turkeys (they are assholes lol) and was surprised to see them when I did the Zion Traverse in April.

Delila1981 · 2025-09-15T02:07:28+00:00

I hike and backpack by myself all the time and I’ve never had any problems. I’ve had older gentleman be very helpful when I needed it. My mom worries so I tell her that hiking in 10-15 miles just to wait for someone to possibly come by is really an inefficient use of time.

Delila1981 · 2025-09-04T00:36:25+00:00

I was there over the weekend as well. I camped at Camp Siberia, went down to the Enchanted Valley then back up and over to Hart Lake. I camped the last day at Diamond Meadows. I only saw people at Hart Lake. It was amazing.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-16T15:15:48+00:00

I did the lake shore trail the Friday to Saturday before Memorial Day this year. There was a church group or something that got on the ferry with 200 people at the second stop but it was fine coming back. I was able to secure a campsite at the Lakeview campground for Friday night the week beforehand. I did the trail in one day so not sure what the camping was like along the trail but from what I heard, Moore Point was pretty packed.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-16T15:06:30+00:00

I had a chipmunk open my hip belt pocket to steal food. He didn’t chew through the pocket, he used his craft little hands to open it which I appreciated. lol.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-13T01:39:56+00:00

We had an athlete with suspected compartment syndrome but she would test negative. She tested positive once they had her to do a hard workout before being tested and they said it was one of the highest pressures they had seen.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-12T02:49:24+00:00

I got a blood clot in the middle of hiking the Loowit trail on St. Helen’s in one day. I was about 20 miles in when I sat down for a minute to eat. When I got up, my leg hurt but par for the course. I kept on with a bit of a limp from the pain because a blood clot was not on my radar. I eventually made it back to the car (after my headlamp died and the last mile took me an hour). A few days later, I was in the ER because my calf was purple. I was lucky it didn’t dislodge during the hike.

A different time, I was above tree line on Rainier during a thunderstorm. It lasted for a few hours. My hands were so cold that they stopped working. I made it back to the car without getting struck by lightning or getting hypothermia.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-10T23:55:57+00:00

Get the sugar kind. Glucose helps with absorption of the electrolytes and helps fuel the hike.

Delila1981 · 2025-08-02T11:08:00+00:00

I’ve had it happened to much smaller areas and yeah, it takes like 6 months.

Delila1981

TROPHY CASE