exercise ball

How to Rid Yourself of Pain and Tightness? Consult a ball.

September 7, 2017

Sedentary jobs, decreased activity levels, and increased stress have made us a less mobile population. Our muscles are overactive and tight, creating imbalances in our bodies, which can lead to poor posture, joint pain, and a host of avoidable injuries.

 

In a recently published article entitled, “6 Ways to Roll Away Pain and Tightness,” author and expert, Cat Matlock, writes:

 

“Pain in the body is a result of some kind of imbalance. This imbalance can be due to disease, injury, structural limitation, or muscular and fascial tension,” adding that when you experience pain in your body, your body is trying to tell you something is wrong, out of balance or at risk of injury.

 

“As therapists, we see the result of tensional imbalance every day with our clients. They come to us to open up their locked tissues and help them to relax. While we are working with our clients, leaning over our tables day after day, we create tensional imbalance in our own bodies,” she writes.

 

One of the most highly-recommended methods is by ball. A tennis ball can work out the tight and sore muscles as well. When you find a particular spot that feels tight, apply pressure for five to 10 seconds, then move on to another area. Be sure you target soft muscle tissue, not the bones or joints. You can increase the intensity by simply using more of your body weight on the ball. It is a good idea to move and stretch the muscles after releasing the tension.

 

“I like to have an assortment of balls available, as some areas respond better to a softer ball and some areas need a smaller and firmer ball to get into the deeper layers, especially in the forearms,” Matlock writes, adding that you can do an Internet search for therapeutic and physical-therapy balls as well, rather than gathering sports balls.