While it's nice to receive a massage, sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands and provide our bodies with a bit of relief, especially if we work from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So let's start from the top of the body and work our way down.
Tip 1: Start with the Head
How to Self-Massage: Using your finger tips, gently press on your jawline just below your ears. Using a circular motion, move your fingers to the temples, then across to the hairline, moving your fingers until they meet at the top of your forehead.
Benefits: Helps relieve headaches
Tip 2: Move to the Neck
How to Self-Massage: Place two or three fingers on either side of your neck, specifically where your neck meets the shoulders. Apply firm pressure and hold until you start to feel the muscles starts to relax. Move your hand up the neck toward the head. when you get to the base of the skull, pause and slowly rotate your head from left to right and up and down. Repeat two or three times.
Benefits: Good for relieving tension
Tip 3: Next... the Shoulders
How to Self-Massage: Place your left hand on top of your right shoulder. Shrug your shoulder and squeeze the muscle, ensuring you've got a good grip. While you are holding this position move your opposite ear to your shoulder to stretch the muscles. Slowly release the pressure as you relax your shoulder. Repeat on the left shoulder.
Benefits: Helps relieve tight shoulders and headaches
Tip 4: Now for the Upper Back! Grab your tennis ball!
How to Self-Massage: Using a tennis ball, lean against a wall, positioning the tennis ball between your spine and shoulder blades. Move your body up and down and side to side to find areas of tension. Once you've found it, apply stronger pressure to the tender areas to release the tension. You can also move your arms up and down the wall (like an angel) for extra release.
Benefits: Releases tension in the upper back. Can help with posture too.
Tip 5: Time for the Lower Back
How to Self-Massage: Still have the tennis ball! Great! You'll need it. If you can find another one this will be even more effective. Place both balls in a long sock and tie off the end to prevent them from moving around too much. Placing the balls on either side of your lower spine, lie on the floor with the ball pressed into your lower back. Roll over the balls by moving your body up and down to find areas of tension. Take deep long breathes when you find tender areas and wait for the intensity of these points to diminish before moving on.
Benefits: Relieves tension and stiffness in the lower back
Tip 6: We've done the back, now for the front. The Chest.
How to Self-Massage: Got your round fluro green friend? Good. You'll may need him again. Now, using your hand or a tennis ball, place pressure on the pectorals, just below the collar bone. Using a circular motion, apply gentle pressure and move your hand around to massage different angels of the muscle.
For a deeper massage, move your arm up and down and forward and back, to stretch the muscles as you massage.
Benefits: Relieves upper back pain and helps with postural issues
Tip 7: Calling all neglected Forearms! It's your turn.
How to Self-Massage: Place your left hand on your right forearm, just below the elbow. Apply firm pressure, moving your thumb back and forth over the muscles. Move your left hand down your right arm towards the wrist. Repeat on your right arm.
Benefits: Great for arms that work on a computer all day.
Tip 8: Leg Day
How to Self-Massage: While your sitting on your chair with your legs bent, use the palms of your hands to place even pressure on each side of your thigh. Roll your hands down your leg towards your knee. Extend your leg out straight and roll your hands back toward your hip.
Bonus: Got a foam roller? Excellent! Begin by lying on your side with a foam roller positioned under your hip. It may be unpleasant at first, but it'll feel so good afterwards. Use your hands to brace yourself as your slowly roll down from your hip to your knee while rotating your body towards the ground as you move down. Slowly roll back to the starting position. Change side when you're ready.
Benefits: Relieve stiffness in your legs. This can occur after sitting for a long time.
Tip 9: Don't forget about your feet.
How to Self-Massage: Time for that furry friend to come back. Using a tennis ball, place the ball on the floor under your foot. Roll the ball around your foot pausing when you find a tender area. If you need a bit more pressure, stand or use a firmer tool, like a water bottle.
Benefits: Helps make your achy feet feel better again.
Following these simple, yet effective home-massage techniques can help you be your best!
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