We all lead hectic lives with lots of
activity coupled with a great deal of stress.
That combination can leave us filled with tight muscles, insufficient
breathing, poor posture and tons of aches and pains. I recently finished two workshops that have
opened up my eyes to this growing problem and I would like to share what I call my
“magic bullets” with you.
There are a variety of balls that you can
purchase on the market that can be used to reduce excess tension in the
muscles. Keep in mind that the larger
the ball, the more forgiving it will be and, therefore, more gentle to work
with. The feet, for example, are very
sensitive. So if yours are painful, you would want to begin with a Smart Spine
Arch Tubby which resembles a bean bag.
It can be heated in a microwave and you would rest your foot on it. After a few minutes, you will be able to feel
the muscles soften – this is a godsend for people who suffer from plantar
fasciitis. Then when the feet are just a bit more supple, you can begin working with the balls.
For the rest of the body, you can work with
one or two balls, just placing them under the ankles, knees and lower
back. Using breath with this work helps
the body to actually melt over the balls.
Gravity, the weight of your own body and the breathing all work together
to release the muscles, trigger points and smooth out the fascia. Some really important areas would be the glutes
(place balls under the buttocks) and also face down at the hips (a ball at each
hip crease) to release the psoas. So
many of us are so tight in both these places – plus we live in such dysfunction
that we actually think this is normal! In
addition, placing a ball at the neck area right by the cervical spine will feel
amazing as you breathe deeply to lengthen that area.
The foam roller is another tool that is
essential for releasing large areas of the body. It is most effective for the IT band, quads
and hamstrings since “rolling” targets a large amount of real estate all at
once. There are athletes who actually
travel with their foam rollers. I have read that Julia Mancuso, who is an
Olympic medalist on the U.S. Ski team, would never leave home without hers!
For more information on this method, check
out the Elaine Petrone Method (www.elainepetrone.com) and the MELT Method® (www.meltmethod.com). Both of them have a variety of kits that
include books, DVDs and balls. Plus their
websites list where you can take classes, if interested. We don't want to stop doing the activities that we love to do so we need to stay lengthened and pain-free in order to carry on.
My last class in the #PilatesForPink series will be held on Monday, October 27th at 8:30 p.m. at Sky. The theme is "Fascia Pilates: Practical Release w/Small Balls and I will be demonstrating ways that you can relieve tension in the body through this fabulous method. Please join me!
My last class in the #PilatesForPink series will be held on Monday, October 27th at 8:30 p.m. at Sky. The theme is "Fascia Pilates: Practical Release w/Small Balls and I will be demonstrating ways that you can relieve tension in the body through this fabulous method. Please join me!
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