Myofascial Massage (Bouncy Ball Style!)

This season I wanted to put together a guide to simple things you can do at home, towards your stretch and fitness recovery journey! One thing I have heard this year is that stretching is HARD to fit in. I get it. I’ve been there for most of my life. In this world of “go-go-go” it is definitely tough to slow down and take a few minutes for yourself, physically AND mentally. But despite how tough it may be to find the time, this year has left many of us sitting more than usual….or in some cases has resulted in OVERactivity as a means of finding an outlet for all the crazy surprises 2020 had in store. Both of those outcomes can be equally as damaging in causing joint pain, tightness in fascia, and restricted muscle movement. So, in the next two blog posts I have gathered some simple and quick but effective ways to incorporate a little self-myofascial release at-home or on the go, with very little equipment. Since it has been madness trying to acquire fitness gear, all you really need is a BOUNCY BALL  (yes!) and A BAND (of any kind- moving straps, resistance bands/tubes/those huge rubber bands, sometimes a towel or strip of fabric could even work...get creative)!

The most time you spend on this, will be running through the guide the first time! When you learn it and find out what your body needs, then from there it’s really just pick and choose what works for you. These movements can be done at work, at home, wherever- and can leave you feeling relaxed and moving more freely, with just a few minutes a day- as needed!

Let’s DIVE IN!

Equipment used:

-2 inch bouncy ball (or lacrosse ball)

Chest

Placement: Small indentation between your chest and shoulder.
How To: Lean slowly against the ball and let it sink into the muscle and tissue.
Tip: Fan your arm up/down, back/forward, or bend/straighten the elbow to hit the varying fibers of the chest.

Back

Placement: A couple inches below the back of your armpit (NOT on the side of your ribcage).
How To: Lean slowly, and slightly at an angle, against the ball. Gently lift your body up and down by bending your knees, or rock side to side by twisting your torso.
Tip: Change the angle of your arm to hit different fibers- round slightly forward and huge across your body, raise arm overhead like a stretch, experiment!

Biceps/Triceps

Placement: Just under the front or your shoulder, down on your arm.
How To: Slowly lean top of bicep into the ball and let it sink in. Lift your body up and down slowly by raising heels or bending the knees, to move down the bicep muscle.
Tip: Move slowly! This is a sensitive area. Twist slightly from side to side to hit different aspects of the bicep.

Triceps Variation: Do the same thing as the biceps! Except this time start with the ball just below the back of the shoulder, to hit the back of the upper arm.

Rear Shoulders/Traps/Rotator Cuff Area

Placement: Upper back, just outside of one shoulder blade (do NOT roll directly over spine or the scapula, it may be pretty uncomfortable. You’ll know because the bone will be much harder than the muscle surrounding it!
How To: Slowly lean back into the ball and let it sink into the muscle and tissue. This may be all you need as it tends to be a highly restricted area! To move deeper into the massage, stand up/down, slightly twist side to side, or fan arms up overhead and back down to hit varying fibers and the various muscles in the area. 

Hips

Placement: Lying down with the bouncy ball in the indentation on the front of your hip (bend your leg at the hip to find it)
How To: Slowly let the weight of your body sink onto the bouncy ball and release tight hip flexors. No need to move around too much as this is a sensitive area, just focus on “melting” into the massage.

Placement: Along the side of your lower back, an inch or two above the hip bone.
How To: Huge same knee towards your chest and sink down onto the bouncy ball with the weight of your body. Slowly rock side to side. 
Tip: Directly move the ball to different areas of your low back, don’t try to just roll around on it- it can be a tough area! Also avoid directly hitting the spine.

Quads

Placement: Lying on the ground with bouncy ball at base of the front of the hip, or an inch or two above the knee (two separate areas to work).
How To: Sink your bodyweight onto the bouncy ball to release areas that feel tight. Slowly rotate leg side to side to create subtle movement and stretch within the tissue.
Tip: The quads are SENSITIVE! Don’t force it!

Hamstrings/Glute Area

Placement: Seated slightly on your side on the bouncy ball, right under the lower glute area.
How To: Sink down by releasing your body weight. Slowly straighten your leg and rotate side to side to open up tissue. Press through your grounded leg to move your whole body back and forth on the ball for a deeper stretch.
Tip: For deeper glute work, move to the ground and sit in an upright figure 4 position, with one leg crossed over the other (advanced).

Calves

Placement: Back of calf on the ball.
How To: Slightly lift your body up with your hands and push yourself back and forth through your arms. Rotate your leg to hit different angles on the calf muscles.

Feet

Placement: Standing with center of foot on top of the bouncy ball.
How To: Slowly shift bodyweight onto the working leg and start to roll the ball under your foot. Work up to the ball of foot (just below the toes), as well as towards the edges of the foot to get varying angles.

Did you enjoy learning these tips & tricks for increasing your
stretch recovery sessions at home or on-the-go?

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