Trigger point massage is a powerful self-care practice that softens tightness and releases muscular pain. Here is everything you need to know to use a set of Cork Massage Balls to feel better in your body in just a few short minutes.
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Anytime & Anywhere
Massage balls are much smaller than a cork roller, and can easily fit into a gym bag for use outside of your home studio. You can leave a set at the office, in your car, or anywhere you need some quick tension release. The convenient size does not require a lot of floor space and allows you to use them in combination with easy-to-find surfaces for better leverage, such as a solid wall or sturdy chair.
Firm = Strong
There are many types of massage balls that offer a variety of different results, from soft to firm to smooth to spiky. Every trigger point massage kit begins with a classic firm smooth ball for everyday use. We love organic cork because it is light, strong, and sustainably made.
Basic Guide
The general idea of trigger point massage is finding a comfortable position to pinpoint a sore muscle between the massage ball and a solid surface. Once you’ve found the right position, begin by slowly leaning or pouring weight through the ball. After creating this focused connection, you want to wait until any sensation of pain or tightness begins to ease up.
The amount of pressure and length of time needed for release to happen varies from person to person. Start by slowly adding pressure until you find the perfect amount. Too much force will make it very hard to relax and can possibly create other issues. You want to find a manageable “good ache” instead of sharp pain or disc
Once comfortable with the new sensation, you can try to slowly roll the ball around to look for other tight spots or enjoy a gentle rolling massage. Try starting with a few minutes of massage once a day until your body feels like it’s ready for more. You may also enjoy keeping a set of massage balls near your practice mat and include them as part of your daily yoga practice!
Basic Target Areas
Shoulders: Lean your back against a wall with a cork massage ball between your neck and shoulder blade. Lean backward with gentle pressure and explore rolling around until you find the right spot. Once located, relax into the knot to release tension.
Neck: Use the ball with your opposite hand to rub over your upper trapezius muscle (the slope of your neck into your shoulder)
Hamstrings: Sitting upright on the floor or firm chair, place the ball under the midpoint of your thigh. Slowly roll around until you find a good spot to pause, relax, and release.
Feet: With shoes off and one foot firmly grounded on the floor, simply step onto the cork massage ball and roll it around until you find a good place to explore. Feel free to use the wall or a chair for more balance.
Working out helps to build strength, increase flexibility, and blow off steam when we’re feeling stressed. Exploring movement is a personal practice that FeetUp takes seriously. We’re also very serious about having fun and creating community through shared movement. To make sure everyone is safe and comfortable, make sure your FeetUp Trainer is on an even surface with no chance of slipping or sliding. Most importantly, make sure you can hear each other before, during, and after each drill!
This excercise is the epitome of grounding down to rise up! Once comfortable in Supported Downward Facing Dog, lift one leg up and hook a foot over your partner’s shoulder. From there, push down through the top leg to lift the bottom leg up!
Two notes for the standing partner: 1) adjust your height by widening your stance to fit the length of the lifted leg and 2) avoid getting kicked by a moving foot by presenting the shoulder opposite to the side of the lifted leg (ex. right leg, left shoulder).
Create confidence and control while mounting into inversions with the help of an extra set of hands! Starting from a floating tuck with eyes closed and your partners hands spotting just a couple inches away from your hips, work on slowly lowering your feet and hopping right back in to tap your sacrum to their hands. Once your confortable with finding connection, your partner can slowly move their hands back an inch or two so you have more room to explore!
Pro-tip: Go slow, keep your knees bent, thighs close to your chest, and focus on how your arms help guide the movement. Spotters! A little space may feel like a long distance. Stay in a low lunge with arms forward and hands flat for maximum support with minimal effort.
You may be surprised by how much easier this excercise is than how it looks. From a supported bridge pose, lift one leg up to your partner’s shoulder— this time matching same side to side (ex. right shoulder, right leg). Press strongly through the connection to lift the lower leg up and over through Floating Tuck back down to the ground!
Spotters, make sure you provide stable and consistent resistance for your partner the entire time. Don’t push, just offer support. Let them do the work!
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