Tennis Balls for Self-Massage
Dr. Sara Ptasnik
24 May 2023
Why Self-Massage?
In today’s fast-paced world, most people (kids and adults) face significant stress and muscle tension. Can you think of where you “hold your stress” or feel tension in your muscles? Getting a professional massage regularly would be great, but it can be hard to afford and access for most people.
So, what can we do for our tight muscles at home? Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Tennis balls can be the perfect tool for self-massage, offering a versatile and affordable way to target painful tight spots, loosen up our muscles, and help us feel better.
Using Balls for Self-Massage
Tennis balls are just one option for self-massage. You or your child may find that you prefer a different size, texture, or firmness, such as lacrosse balls or specific myofascial release balls. Different balls or tools may also feel better on different body parts. The idea is to explore what feels good for you and learn to connect with your body. So have fun with it and be patient; it may take some time to figure out what works best for you.
You may notice constant pain in certain areas, or you may not realize until these spots are pressed that you have tight muscles or knots. Any time there is a lot of muscle tension, there is poor flow through these areas. When these muscles are put under stress, they may spasm and cause more pain.
Sometimes, knots and muscle tension lead to less obvious symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or menstrual pain, and this tension can worsen anxiety and fatigue. Treating muscle tension improves pain and helps with the health and balance of your whole body.
Quick Self-Care Routines with Balls
1. Wall Roll
Let’s start with two tennis balls. You can tie them in a sock or stocking to keep them together as you do this exercise. Now, with one ball on either side of your spine, lean against a wall, bend your knees, and roll the balls up and down your back muscles, using as much pressure as feels good for you. If you want more pressure, you can do this against the floor instead of the wall. When you find a point of tension or pain, hold on the spot for about 20 seconds. You can add some gentle movement for a deeper release. Don’t overdo it! The pressure should release tension and make the overall feeling good. You might feel some discomfort, but it shouldn’t be too painful. If you feel pain, back off the pressure or move to a different spot. Remember to breathe deeply. This tells your muscles it’s safe to relax.
2. Foot Massage
Now, let’s massage our feet. Our feet do so much work holding us up all day, and we may not realize how sore they are until we massage them. From a reflexology standpoint, you can think of the bottom of your feet as little maps of your whole body, so massaging your feet gives you a full-body treatment.
While seated, place the ball underneath your foot and roll it back and forth from your heel to your toes, gently applying pressure to the sore spots. For more pressure, stand on the ball, lean into it, and back off again as you move to a new spot. It feels good to do this after a bath or foot soak before bed, but you can do it anytime.
3. Make Your Own Routine
Explore your body to find other tight and painful areas and see how to use the balls to help release these knots. You can use one ball at a time or keep them together. I also like to use tennis balls for my hips, calves, and upper chest. Again, play around with it and find what works best for you.
Don’t forget to drink lots of water! This helps flush out the toxins you have released from the tight muscles and reduces soreness. Staying hydrated also keeps your tissues lubricated and moving freely.
Using tennis balls for self-massage can be a simple and effective way to relieve muscle tension and add to your self-care routine. Just remember to listen to your body and adjust the pressure as needed. And this doesn’t have to be something you do at home – you can quickly bring these balls on the go for some quick relief at school, work, practice, or while traveling.
