Lacrosse Ball (Massage Ball)

$9.99
By Spartan Fitness Equipment
Description

VO3-1258A

The benefits of lacrosse ball massage:

  • Reduced soreness and fatigue after exercise
  • Increased muscle performance
  • Increased range of motion in the joints
  • Improve blood flow and nutrient distribution

Body Areas

Foot

Have you heard the Alexander Pope Quote: “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”?
This is a perfect analogy for the body. Much of your balance and posture start at the base in your feet! As you walk, run or jump, the complex series of joints and ligaments in your foot is meant to act as your body’s shock absorber. If the foot is too stiff, it can lead to an increase in pain or stress for the joints up the chain. So, are you ready to loosen up tight muscles and break up scar-tissue? Let’s get to it!

You can do this move sitting or standing. The difference is simply the amount of pressure you are applying to the ball with your foot. If you are sitting, you can increase the pressure by leaning forward with your forearms on your thighs. If you want to stand but are having trouble with balance, hold a wall, steady table, or chair for added stability.

  1. Place the lacrosse ball under the arch of your foot.
  2. Picture your foot divided into four quadrants. Treat one quadrant at a time by rolling the ball back and forth and side to side.
  3. Even your toes will love a good roll over the ball.
  4. Aim to spend 30 to 60 seconds per foot giving extra attention to areas of higher tension.

This technique is also great for those seeking to relieve plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue along the sole of your foot. Pain occurrs when it becomes inflamed or irritated. Using the lacrosse ball to perform self-myofascial release can help break up adhesions and reduce pain.

We bet your feet are feeling great now that you have released some tension. Let’s keep going and work the legs.

Legs have a lot of muscles and they all work differently.Standing, running, weight training and even sitting at a desk all day can all affect blood flow and muscle tension in the legs. Making self-myofascial release apart of your routine will relieve tightness and improve flexibility.

Calves

Trigger points in the large muscles at the back of the calves can manifest as pain in the calf, back of the knee and the instep of your foot.

  1. Sit on the floor with your leg stretched out, place the ball right above your Achilles tendon. Keep your ankle in a relaxed position, neither flexed nor pointed.
  2. Place your other foot flat on the floor to help you roll back and forth over the ball.
  3. Slowly roll your leg over the ball towards the back of your knee. When you find a tight spot hold the position until the spot releases and the pain dissipates, then continue your roll.
  4. Point and flex your toe to really work the muscle knots.
  5. Try changing your position to roll the sides of your calves as well.You can also use your hand to roll the ball over the muscles of the lower leg.

In the interest of balance, remember to give the shins some treatment too.

  1. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees.
  2. Place the ball under one shin and just like before, slowly roll your leg over the ball applying as much pressure as you are comfortable with.
  3. Pause when you feel a trigger point or tight muscle, to allow it to release.

Hamstrings

There are two options for using the lacrosse ball on your hamstrings. You can sit on a raised surface or use the floor.

Sitting on a chair or table:

  1. Sit in a hard chair with the ball under your hamstring muscle.
  2. Relax your leg letting it dangle.
  3. Slowly roll your ball up and down the length of your hamstring and back and forth across it.
  4. When you find your trigger points, hold that position until they release. You can also flex and extend your leg until you feel the pressure release.
  5. If you want to apply more pressure, lean forward and rest your arm and bodyweight on your lap.

On the floor:

  1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front.
  2. Place the ball under your knee and slowly roll your ball up and down the length of your hamstring and back and forth across it.
  3. When you find your trigger points, hold that position to allow them to release.
  4. If you want to apply more pressure, put the weight of your other leg over top of the leg you are treating.
  5. For a BONUS release while you are here, put the ball at the back of your knee and squeeze the ball between your calf and hamstring.

Quadriceps

This one is lots of fun. You are going to want to clear some floor-space to move around.

  1. Laying front side down, place the lacrosse ball under your quadricep.
  2. Use your forearms and other leg to support your weight as you apply as much pressure as you are comfortable with to the ball.
  3. Roll gently up and down, back and forth pausing on the trigger points.
  4. To really work the trigger points try flexing and extending by bending at the knee.

Glutes and Hips

Like the feet, the hips are an important area to maintain for overall body balance and alignment. You can either sit on the floor to treat these areas or stand up and roll against a wall to gain more control over the pressure. 

Against the wall:

  1. Place the lacrosse ball between your hip/glute and the wall.
  2. Lean into the ball as much as is reasonable comfortable.
  3. Slowly roll back and forth, up and down over the ball.
  4. Stop at the trigger points and hold until release.
  5. After doing this several times, you may find that it gets pretty comfortable. When that happens, you can graduate to the floor.

On the floor:

  1. Sit on the floor with the ball under one side of your hip/glute with the opposite leg stretched out in front of you.
  2. Cross the ankle of the side being massaged over the outstretched quadricep.
  3. Using your arms for balance, slowly roll back and forth, up and down over the ball.
  4. Stop at the trigger points and hold until release.

Forearm

Your forearms need attention more than you may realize! Gripping heavy weights does a number on those muscles. Guess what else causes tension in the forearms; typing and texting! The strain can transfer to elbow, wrists and hand issues such as inflammation, numbness and weakened grip-strength can result.

For the back of the forearm I like to use a wall.

  1. Place the lacrosse ball at the wrist with your palm facing out.
  2. Roll up towards the elbow pausing to release on those tight spots.
  3. To help release the tight spots, flex and extend your wrist.

To release the other side of your forearm:

  1. Place your lacrosse ball on a table with your palm facing down.
  2. Roll from the writs up to the elbow pausing to release on the tight spots.
  3. To help release the tight spots, flex and extend your wrist.

Back

There is a great trick you can use during your back massage. To keep the ball from escaping and rolling away, put it into a pillowcase. Hold the top of the pillowcase over your shoulder with the ball hanging over your back. Now the ball will stay between you and the wall.

  1. Since your back is relatively large compared to the other parts we’ve massaged, you may find it helpful to work one quadrant at a time.
  2. With the ball secured between your back and the wall, roll up and down, back and forth in small movements.
  3. When you find a trigger point, either hold it to release or keep that ball still while you raise your arm straight out on front of you.
  4. Lift and lower your arm a few times to help release the muscle over the ball.
  5. Continue working each quadrant of your back and shoulders.
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