Pso-Rite | The Best Psoas Release and Massage Tool

A tight iliopsoas muscle can lock away key aspects of your athletic potential. Discovering the best methods for psoas muscle release is the first step at gaining that potential back. Tools like the PSO-RITE release tool act almost like a psoas stretcher to release a tight and shortened tissue. Along with incorporating a psoas stretch protocol, you’ll be right on your way to maximizing your athletic ability and improving your range of motion.

The psoas is one of the most critical muscles for moving your body. It’s responsible for lifting your legs towards your body, flexing your hip joints, stabilizing your spine, and has its role in almost every aspect of moving your body around. 

• If you’re a runner, calculating your speed is as simple as your stride length times its frequency. Improved psoas mobility can help open up your stride – an easy way to knock seconds to minutes off your mile times.

• If you spend your time in the weight room, improved psoas mobility will help you get the full range of motion in countless resistance exercises. Proper mobility and range of motion are the undisputed foundation to getting the most out of your workouts.

• If you’re an athlete in competitive sports,  your speed and agility are the key ingredients you need to outmaneuver your opponents and get yourself into game-winning positions. A tight psoas can hold back both the speed and range of motion you need to support your overall athleticism.

Check out our Athlete’s Guide to The Psoas Muscle for the full rundown of everything you need to know about the psoas. For this article, we’ll be going through the best ways to release a tightness in the psoas muscle.

How to Release The Psoas Muscle

There are two common ways of releasing a tight psoas muscle: stretches and devices specifically designed for psoas release. 

While stretching is an important supplementation, sustained pressure is a powerful way to releasing trigger points in the muscles. So we’ll start with the tools you can add to your gym bag to set you on your path for releasing a tight psoas. 

You can find a list of psoas-specific stretches in the second half of this article.

As always, the first place you should start is by talking with your doctor or preferred healthcare professional before starting any new health or fitness protocol, especially if you are experiencing pain or suspect an injury. They can also help you set up a protocol specific to your body and needs.

Psoas Release Tools and Devices

Sustained pressure on the psoas helps increase circulation, release the adhesions between muscle fibers, and improve mobility by alleviating muscle tension. 

The psoas can be a hard muscle to reach. The design of most psoas release devices mimics a therapist’s hands but allowing for additional pressure for effective release. The peaks and ridges on the device help centralize the pressure to get in and massage the specific regions you’re targeting.

The PSO-RITE has become a standard in psoas release tools. We’ll use it as an example for these devices in action. 

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How to Use the PSO-RITE

The same idea when foam rolling for myofascial release applies when you’re using psoas release tools. It’s best to start gently and then allow your body to adapt over time.

Here’s a visual demonstration of how to use the PSO-RITE to target your iliopsoas. It will help you get a feel for the areas you’re trying to get into and the body motion and breathing techniques to get the most benefit from the exercise correctly.

Just like your stretching and foam rolling practices, consistency is key. Making it a staple part of your practice will get you the full long-term benefits.

The great thing about the PSO-RITE is that its uses aren’t just limited to the psoas. It’s a multi-purpose tool you can also use it for your back, hamstrings, thighs, glutes, chest, triceps, or biceps. 

When Should You Use Psoas Release Devices?

PSO-RITE has a great resource that describes three different levels of use for the psoas release tool:

1. Level 1: Light – Improves circulation and discovering trigger points and tightness in the body.
2. Level 2: Medium – Preparation and warm-up before a workout or sport and relaxation afterward.
3. Level 3: Heavy – For mobilization and recovery to release scar tissue, improve mobility, and help with your post-workout recovery.

Best Psoas Muscle Stretches

The convenience and versatility of psoas release devices can do a great job of helping release a tight psoas. Adding in stretching will also help you round out your regimen for improving your mobility. 

Here is a list of psoas stretches that specifically target the iliopsoas and supporting muscle groups:

• Lunge Stretches
• Pelvic Tilt Glute Bridge
• Standing and Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
• Kneeling Quadriceps Stretch
• Cobra Stretch
• Sumo Squat Stretch
• Seated Butterfly Stretch

Final Thoughts

For a muscle as important as the psoas, having a simple tool for improving its functions can be a powerful way to improve your overall mobility and athletic performance. 

Unfortunately, many people have jobs that keep you sitting for most of the day. Over time this adds up to shortened and tight muscles. That immobility works its way into affecting your training sessions and keeps you from getting the most out of all your hard work. And for athletes, a releasing a tight psoas can give you substantial benefits. For further reading about the psoas, check out our article about how elite ultra endurance athlete David Goggins psoas stretching routine changed major aspects of his performance in ways he never would have expected.

Mobility Athlete helps you reclaim lost potential caused by that immobility. If you want the latest tips and tools to help you with your fitness and mobility journey, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter!