Having a ball?
Previously I have written my guide to foam rolling parts 1 & 2. Now I want to explore the uses for another self-massage tool, the spikey ball. I would recommend you use both a foam roller and a spikey ball the reason is that for some parts of the body it is easier to use a spikey ball, for example:
Releasing the feet
Stand on one leg use a chair or the wall for balance. Roll one foot at a time over the ball for a good few minutes. Include the heel, the outside edge and the instep. Push down stronger into any area to deepen the intensity. Do each foot separately.
Between the shoulders
A common area of tension with modern postural habits is between the shoulder blades. You can easily reach this area with a ball placed anywhere between the shoulder blades and move up and down against the wall. One tip to stop the ball dropping it to put it in a long sock or stocking, drap it over your shoulder and then hold it in your hand.
Lower back – Under sacrum and glutes
You can use the floor of resistance to press your weight into or when lying to let gravity give you a help in hand. Simply lie on the floor, bend your knees but keep your feet flat on the floor. Then place the ball underneath your sacrum – the large triangular bone that forms part of your pelvis. Now move just gently move your sacrum and glutes all over the ball. If it feels safe to do so your can bring your knees into your chest to add additional pressure. This will help release off your lower back.
Related Posts
Is deep pressure in a massage ever bad?
One of the first things you learn as a massage therapist is that everyone wants deep pressure in massage. This is because no one wants a light fluffy massage because they feel there will be no benefit and they have wasted both their time and money. The second thing you learn as a massage is that everyone has their own idea what deep pressure is and what would be light pressure for one person is deep pressure for another person. Even if you take one client, the pressure they consider deep on their tight shoulders will be different from their idea of deep pressure on their legs. So there is no fixed concept of what deep pressure is, it varies from client to client, and with the same client it varies treatment to treatment and depending up on the part of their body your are treating. Given all this how do we work out pressure in clinic. First, we base it on our experience, your body type, the tension in the muscle we are working on. But most of all we talk to you about how the pressure feels to you and respect your preferences for pressure. I am sure most of you have heard me talk about good pain. Its based on a phenomenon that I have seen in clinic over the years. This is where someone comes into clinic in pain, we apply pressure and the pain turns into a good pain – because the pressure is a source of relief. For some people this “good pain” just feels right. This good pain is strong but welcome and came sometimes be described as a “sweet ache”. For some clients the good pain, is such a welcome relief that pain doesn’t even seem the right word. A word of warning, I like all my other therapists are only human and sometimes we get it wrong. This can be if we have missed a trigger point that is very sensitive, and we go into deep or the opposite can happen where a muscle locks up and we apply pressure and you as the client can’t feel anything. These situations can also arise due to change with your body i.e. an intense gym session or longer work hours than usual so lots of extra time sitting at your desk. I try to ask all my clients regularly without sounding like its some automated message, do you want the pressure deeper or lighter and if so let me know. I know the other therapists in clinic do this as well. In clinic we always want you to get the most out of your treatment. So please remember we always welcome feedback on pressure throughout your treatment.
The superfood that can combat metabolic syndrome
Every few months a new super food seems to emerge into the public domain. Avocado seems to have caught the british public's imagination as sales soar. With Avocado the hype seems to be justified. The fruit slows down and even reverses metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions -
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- high body mass index (i.e. overweight)
Did you know this reduces your changes of getting a cold or flu?
When I worked in an office, this was the time of the year when everyone either got the office cold or sometimes even worse flu, so I wanted to share something that can reduce your chance of getting one. Garlic has been used for centuries as both a food ingredient and a medicine. Garlic contains compounds that help the immune system fight germs and has show promise as a treatment for preventing colds and the flu. Studies have shown that garlic reduces the risk of becoming sick in the first place, as well as how long you stay sick. It can also reduce the severity of symptoms. One study gave 146 healthy volunteers either garlic supplements or a placebo for three months. The garlic group had a 63% lower risk of getting a cold, and their colds were also 70% shorter. Another study found that colds were on average 61% shorter for subjects who ate 2.56 grams of aged garlic extract per day, compared to a placebo group. Their colds were also less severe. If you often get sick with a cold or flu, eating garlic can help reduce your symptoms or prevent your illness entirely. However, a review of the evidence found that many of the studies investigating the effects of garlic on the common cold were of poor quality. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961060 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238820 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901
