7 Ways Self Massage Can Heal Your Body
With Covid-19 it is hard to get self-care through massage. I have kept my body healthy and pain free by using my Yoga Tune Up® balls for self-massage every day, literally. This is not simply a sales pitch for Yoga Tune Up®. These balls have kept me out of the chiropractor’s office and helped so many of my friends and clients with shoulder issues, hip issues, low back pain, foot issues and the list goes on and on. These wonderful massage balls provide myofascia release better than foam rollers as they can get into the trigger point areas and release them.
Many therapists will recommend a La Crosse ball or golf ball to release myofascia, yet these items are so hard the body tenses up and will not relax enough for self-massage to actually take place. Yoga Tune Up® balls are inexpensive and are easier to use than soft tennis balls that collapse when you put too much pressure on them.
Click Here to see available products. https://www.tuneupfitness.com/shop/self-massage-therapy-balls
What is myofascia you ask?
All of your muscles are connected with fascia. This fascia is intwined between, around and over all of your muscles like the man in blue. We often talk about tight muscles, but the trigger points that cause us pain are often found in the myofascia. Simply put, myofascia is the fascia that is intertwined with the muscle. Often the fascia has to be released before the muscle will even stretch. This is why I have my clients stretch a muscle for 3-4 reps as the first two reps they may feel like that particular muscle doesn’t need to be stretched because it doesn’t feel tight. On the third rep the fascia starts to loosen and then the muscle begins to feel the stretch. This is why it is important to do myofascia release before stretching and in addition to stretching.
The 7 ways Self Massage Through Yoga Tune Up® has helped me and my clients is:
1. Opens the thoracic spine and massages the specific areas in the upper back to improve posture and reduce upper back pain. Females often have tightness and discomfort where their bra strap sits all day (mid thoracic spine). Just using the original Yoga Tune Up® balls in this region every night before bed will improve your posture and reduce pain immediately.
2. Calms down piriformis tightness and sciatic nerve pain. Rolling the ball over these areas helps reduce pain in the hip and glutes.
3. Relieves tension in the low back through massaging the low back muscles and releasing tension in the Quadratus Lumborum (muscle that runs from the top of the hip to the bottom of the rib cage).
4. Relieves tension in the neck therefore decreasing headaches.
5. Calms down tension in the calves and hamstrings making it easier to walk and exercise.
6. Decreased pain from TMJ.
7. Reduces pain from plantar fasciitis in the foot.
Here are a few videos from the creator and owner of Yoga Tune Up® Jill Miller, to help you understand how to use the Yoga Tune Up® balls. The balls can be used on the floor or the wall depending on what your needs are.
Back Pain Relief – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-Cnhfc3OM
Oblique, Quadratus Lumborum and Psoas Relief – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glkxp29zgnQ
Thoracic Spine Opening – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p_9ew0Fe5Q
The best balls to start with are the original Yoga Tune Up® balls and if you are on the floor, start with a soft surface under you like carpet or a thick mat. They come in a tote and can be used in the tote or out. The main guidelines for using these balls are you do not want to ever put them directly on the spine and…. if it hurts in a bad way, do not do it. The goal is for you to relax into the balls and feel a sense of relief, not pain. Wear form fitting synthetic fiber fitness clothes to allow more grip with the balls so you get more release.
The best way to learn how to use Yoga Tune Up® balls for self-massage is to work with a Specialist. My close friend Amanda taught me how to use Yoga Tune Up® and it has been a game changer for me and my body. Here is a little bit of information about Amanda.
Amanda Artz-Zerbini started her wellness career as a Massage Therapist and then completed her B.S. in Recreation Therapy at CSU, Chico. She worked as a Recreation Therapist with special populations (physical rehab, developmental and behavioral health) for a decade in both clinical & recreation settings. After having her own children, she completed a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training and began teaching adult and kid fitness and yoga at the Mottino Family YMCA. Over this past decade, she has been teaching both fitness and yoga to visiting clients at Cal-a-Vie, an exclusive destination health spa in Vista. Amanda specializes in Yoga Tune Up®, teaching clients how to do self-massage with therapy balls, corrective exercises, yoga asanas and to efficiently down regulate the nervous system. Talk to Amanda about her passion for holistic living and hula hoop dance tricks. Amanda teaches workshops and subs in at various yoga studios and fitness venues around North County San Diego.
Visit Amanda’s website to book an appointment. www.sandiegoyogafitness.com
If you are local, Amanda will be teaching a workshop in Vista, CA December 5th! This workshop will also be on Zoom, check it out.
Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 1 PM PST – 2:30 PM PST
Great Divine Flow Yoga
Public · Hosted by Great Divine Flow Yoga
Roll Model Method Workshop with Amanda Saturday, December 5th at 1pm
Self-care can often be the best health care. Learn ball rolling self-message to increase circulation, decrease pain and improve mobility.
This workshop is 1.5 hours
$40 includes one set of Original Yoga Tune Up therapy balls. Learn how to utilize ball rolling massage for low back, hips, neck, shoulders, feet and more. Bring your own yoga mat and wear grippy yoga clothes.
Come prepared to Roll & Release:
1. Bring at least one yoga/Pilates mat per participant. The thicker the mat stack, the less pressure for your self-massage.
2. Wearing less is more…you want to be more grippy for myofascial release & easier to move position of ball. Wear form fitting synthetic fiber fitness clothes.
3. Stay hydrated. Bring a water bottle.
This class is great for anyone that wants to feel empowered in their own self-care. The athletic member who wants to enhance their pre or post exercise performance by improving mobility of hips, back, neck and shoulders, Great for people with chronic or acute tension in their body, helps those who sit at a desk all day and who have allowed their bodies to become weakened and compressed with poor posture and mobility. This is a great class to wake up the body’s tissues or to help down regulate prior to sleep.
Workshop Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/4052275474801876
or Click Here
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