Massage Ball Exercises
Massage balls can be used for a wide range of things, they are used quite a lot in physical therapy and rehabilitation but they are also more widely used for self-massage exercises.
Massage ball exercises provide numerous benefits when used for trigger point therapy and self-massage.
What are the benefits of Massage Ball exercises and self-massage?
The benefits that can be gained from doing regular massage balls exercises include increased mobility, flexibility and blood circulation.
Other benefits of massage ball exercises include myofascial release, effective trigger point therapy and they are especially great tools for muscle stiffness or tight muscles and knots. This means that massage balls exercises are also for extremely effective pain relief and relaxation.
If you are looking for information on different types of massage balls, what they can be used for and the best massage balls for specific conditions then please take a look at our Massage Balls Buyer's Guide or visit our Massage balls section for a list of all our products
These videos only include two products, the Rockballs and Yoga Tune-Up Therapy Balls. You can use other types of Massage Balls from our Massage Balls section but make sure they are the same as the ones shown in the video that you want to do an exercise from.
This is because you don't want to use a spiky massage ball when you should you have used a smooth foam massage ball, although they are similar and have mostly the same benefits, in some cases (with specific massage ball exercises such as the spine) using a spiky ball could do more damage than anything else.
It is also important to note that Massage Ball exercises rely on body weight and the pressure is therefore controlled by you, remember to apply the right amount of pressure that feels comfortable but can still work really bad knots and sore muscles - not too much and not too little.
If you end up buying The RockBalls, Every set of RockBalls includes a special Movement Manifesto (mentioned in the Mobility video). It is a booklet that contains valuable information to educate users on the following:
- How to use RockBalls
- Detailed movements and exercises
- Helpful hints about best ways to use RockBalls
- Breathing and proper alignment
- Differentiating pain from discomfort
- A full reference section that will appeal to medical professionals interested in learning more about movement techniques
If you are a massage therapist, physiotherapist or sports therapist then you might find our educational products about trigger point massage and therapy quite interesting, we sell a book titled Concise Book of Trigger Points, we also sell charts that are useful to have in the clinic room such as Trigger Point Flip Charts and Trigger Point Techniques and if you are looking for products that are great for Trigger point massage then take a look at our Therapist Thumb, Mushroom hot stone, Pinpoint Trigger Ball and Pressure Point hot stones
Self Massage exercises with Massage Balls
These massage ball exercises can be done at home, at the office or at the gym as most of them involve literally just the floor and a massage ball, this exercise guide covers massage ball exercises for the foot, neck, upper back, lower back, shoulders, pectorals (pecs), the hands and even include some massage ball exercises specifically designed for myofascial release, pain relief and increased mobility.
1. Pectoral Massage Ball Exercises
Although the Pectoral muscles can become tight, they aren't very prone to stiffness so this massage ball exercise is more for tension in the chest area but the nature of the exercise and the type of massage ball used makes it great for increasing the range of motion and flexibility.
This makes it a perfect exercise for men who go to the gym, it will certainly help with any muscle tension that's still lingering a few days after chest day, but try not to do this exercise after a workout so you can give your muscles time to recover.
As demonstrated in the video, you should start by finding an area that is tight or tender and then proceed to roll the area without putting too much or too little pressure and remember to keep the ball in place so that you don't end up in any uncomfortable movements.
2. Massage Ball exercise for Mobility
As mentioned above, massage balls are extremely effective for increasing mobility, this video shows how to do a simple mobility exercise with a massage ball.
As mentioned in the video, you can use both types of massage balls in this video - spiky balls and smooth foam massage balls.
The Spiky ball is better for larger muscle groups, tough adhesions and blood circulation and the foam massage ball is better for mobility exercises where pinpoint accuracy is required.
These exercises are great for anyone that can benefit from increased upper-body mobility, it therefore compliments the previous massage ball exercise quite well.
3. Shoulder Girdle Massage ball exercise
The third massage ball exercise that we will take a look at is a shoulder girdle exercise, this is pretty similar to the first exercise except it is for your shoulder.
As you did for the pectoral muscle massage exercise, roll it around a bit until you can find a spot that feels a bit tight or tender, roll the massage ball around the area as demonstrated in the video and keep moving through a comfortable range of motion.
4. Massage Ball Exercise for your feet and ankles - Peroneals
The peroneal tendons are connected to your feet arches and the exterior side of the foot from the small toe upwards, they help stabilise you and support some of the weight in the foot and ankle which can help avoid ankle sprains and other acute injuries.
As demonstrated in the video, using the floor like some of the massage ball exercises is the best approach.
Although this exercise is aimed at providing pain relief to the peroneal tendons, you might notice the ball is rolled mainly further up the leg, this makes it easier to rotate your ankle which subsequently increases mobility and range of motion.
5. Self-massage for Myofascial Release
This video from Tune Up Therapy shows how you can use massage balls for self-massage exercises with the aim of Myofascial release, so you are essentially targeting the myofascial system.
As mentioned in the video, the Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls can be used to emulate the thumb massage effect by rolling the ball around on your face, shoulder, neck, spine or foot.
The therapy balls are designed for deeper massages so they are excellent tools for self-massage, myofascial release and deep tissue massage. You can also this massage ball for Sciatica pain and the buttocks as shown in the video.
6. Massage Ball Exercise for Upper Back & Neck Pain Relief
Neck and Upper Back Pain can be extremely painful, it is usually caused by the same things that cause Repetitive Strain Injuries and Sciatica Pain - bad posture and consistently poor ergonomics, this means neck and back pain is very common, especially if you work in an office or do very repetitive tasks at work.
As demonstrated in the video, it's best to do these exercises on the floor. The massage balls exercises for upper back pain are also technically shoulder exercises as they target the rotator cuff muscles as well (rotator cuff refers to a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint).
This is a very in-depth video that covers a lot of very useful exercises so make sure you watch the whole thing if you want to learn how how to use massage balls for exercises that will provide effective neck and upper back pain relief.
7. Massage Balls exercise for the foot
Do you have foot pain? Well, these massage balls exercises are great for pain relief and as mentioned in the video, they are also useful for improving stability and proprioception especially if you wear tight shoes.
We sell the massage balls with the tote bag mentioned in the video but the Blackroll DuoBall has a similar shape, it won't have the same effect as the tote bag though.
You can definitely do the massage ball exercises that are demonstrated using one massage ball but as Jill already mentioned, the size of the massage ball should depend on the size of your feet so if you're buying a massage ball specifically for foot massage ball exercises only then make sure you get the right size.
8. Massage Ball exercises for your Lower Back
Lower back pain is becoming increasingly common with more people seeking pain relief for lower back pain, massage ball exercises can certainly help relieve tension and restore mobility to your lower back area.
As noted above, The Blackroll Duo ball is a great alternative to using two massage balls in a tote bag.
Although this exercise is good for lower back pain, if you have Sciatica pain then you may benefit from doing a similar exercise but with just one ball because this would be more effective in terms of trigger point therapy and pinpoint accuracy.
Buttock and glute massage ball exercises are also good options to consider for Sciatica Pain
9. Massage Ball Exercise for Hands and Arthritic Hands
This exercise is designed specifically for releasing tension and stiffness in the hands but it can also be effective for pain relief so it is, therefore, a handy massage ball exercise for arthritic hands as well.
Arthritis causes pain in the joints so although massage ball exercises are better suited to muscle tensions, self-massage on the hands can help loosen up the muscles around the joints
Take a look at our Arthritis pain management buyer's guide or our Keeping active with Arthritis exercise guide for more information
10. Massage Ball Exercises for tense Shoulders
Tense shoulders are another increasingly common cause of pain due to lifestyle changes and poor ergonomics which is not surprising when you look at some of the causes of tense shoulders and knots in your upper traps.
Some of the common causes include using your phone with bad posture, spending long periods of time at a computer or desk with poor ergonomics and doing repetitive movements such as factory and warehouse jobs.
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