I keep a tennis ball around not in case someone challenges me to a game of tennis (they would win), but because a tennis ball helps relieve the knots in my back muscles.
A few years ago I spent an unforgettable week at Rancho La Puerta, a fitness spa in Tecate, Mexico, where I learned about the benefits of fish oil pills from Dr. Frank Lipman, tried out Pilates for the first time, got a great low-fat guacamole recipe partially made out of peas (peas!) and learned how to remove the kinks and knots in my muscles using a tennis ball.
I'm not kidding. I took a class at Rancho that taught us how to use tennis balls to massage out the knots in our legs, backs, necks and arms. We learned several positions that involved the floor, a wall and ourselves. I was reminded of the tennis ball this week when I was paid $120 for a deep tissue massage. I thought, "this is great, but the tennis ball is virtually free!"
How to Do a Tennis Ball Massage
So how to do the massage? Basically, you:
- Place a tennis ball between you and a wall or the floor. You want to place the ball at a pressure point (usually found along either side of the spine, along the lower back and at the top of the back).
- Gently move the ball up and down providing just enough pressure that it feels good, not wincingly painful.
- Keep the ball on the knots for a few seconds or even a few minutes. Roll the ball around the knots.
Since I learned how to massage my own back with a tennis ball, I've come across several people who do this on themselves, including my friend LL, who is a massage therapist in New York City and the Hamptons and who charges $200 for her amazing work.
If that $2 tennis ball is good enough for her own back, surely it's good enough for mine.
More Information
For more information on tennis ball massage, check out this article I found on a wonderful, witty Website on solving chronic pain issues called "saveyourself.ca."
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