What I'm Loving Now

I first used this small massage ball in a Knee Workshop that I attended.  The instructor wanted to prove that working from the bottom up really helps to align our bodies.  We often forget that our feet are the foundation of our body.  Just like the foundation of a house, our feet change so the whole alignment shifts.  Paying attention to these changes and dealing with them are an important part of our general body health.
Poor foot alignment travels up to the ankle, knee and hip. Not a good thing!  We need to keep the “foundation” of our “house” in order. Providing targeted compression into the deep tissue in our feet, these balls can be used to alleviate tight hotspots all over the body:  under the neck, shoulders, lower back, etc.  They help to quicken the healing process by improving circulation through the use of massage therapy to the affected areas of the body. 

Shortly after the workshop, I bought a small ball and started working nightly with it.  Placing the ball on the floor, I simply start by rolling my heel back and forth over the ball.  Then I switch and place it under the ball of the foot and roll side to side, including the toes as well.  Then I roll the ball over the entire arch front to back (this is heavenly!). The ball rolls out tightness in the arch and forefoot while promoting flexibility. When I place that foot on the floor, I can feel a real difference between that stretched foot and the other one. Then I continue with the other foot. I do this every night before my reflexology and I have seen a real difference in how aligned my body feels. 

There are many good sites to explore if you are interesting in purchasing a ball of this type.  One of them is OPTP and here is the link in case you are interested: http://www.optp.com Check out the section under "Foot Management". 

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I will be doing a special Pilates for Pink Class next Monday night entitled, Pilates with Weights, at Sky Athletic Club in Rockville Centre.  As the name suggests, we will be integrating small weights into our workout that night.  If you have never experienced this, now is the time to try it!  You will be amazed at how strong, lean and flexible you will feel by combining the classic Pilates repertoire with strength training. 

We will be accepting donations throughout October since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is no charge for the class if you are a member.  Non-members may participate with a drop-in fee of $20.  That fee will serve as a donation and they will be given one of the many gifts that will be on display. Please join me in participating in and donating to this very worthy cause:)