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BODYWORK & WELLNESS:
Theraputic Exercise/Bodywork Using Balls

Everyone has a place on their body with lots of tension. Here's an easy self massage technique that works wonders.

For your back:

Get 2 old tennis balls or two slightly larger "kiddy" rubber balls at the toy store.

 

Lie on your back and place the balls under you, so they are next to one another and your spine is between them. Never place the balls directly under your spine or kidneys. You may have to do a pelvic lift to wedge them under your back. If the pressure of them is too much, you will need balls that are a bit softer or maybe larger in circumference. Using your heels as leverage, with bent knees, roll your body up and down to give yourself an instant back massage!

For your calves:

Sit on floor with legs straight, put tennis balls under shins, and roll legs around to get a calf massage. You may find a tension point where you'd like to keep the balls for about a minute.

For your feet:

While sitting or standing, take shoe off and put tennis ball under foot and roll foot around for an instant foot massage. Do this exercise one foot at a time.

Here are practitioners/sites that specialize in incorporating ball work in their sessions. They all have a bit of a different take on ball use.

Body Rolling Yemuna Zake at www.bodylogic.com. Yemuna is a master instrutor and author of Body Rolling "On The Ball" therapy

Elaine Petrone Method www.elainepetrone.com. Elaine has theraputic ball kits for sale as well as information on classes and certification.

The Inside Out Method Pilates studio, located in Miami, Florida. Their website, www.insideoutmethod.com, has a great home program workout on the website, including photographs of studio owner, Kevin Bowen, demonstrating his home ball therapy program called Ball-er-genics.

For tennis ball specific work, the tennis ball video at this site may be very helpful. www.creativebodyworks.com sells various fitness/bodywork tapes. They sell a tape specifically on tennis ball therapy that helps relieve stress by getting to acupressure points.