One of the most important aspects of an active lifestyle is recovery. Living an active lifestyle puts stresses on the body that can lead to injury if there is no recovery time. With Phoenix sports therapy, recovery time can include rest, stretching, active recovery, using foam rollers, sticks, and lacrosse balls. The goal of this post is not to convince you that if you do not have recovery time you should not live an active lifestyle. Instead, we will cover simple and effective ways to help your body recover using an extremely simple tool, the lacrosse ball. A lacrosse ball is very accessible and affordable for anyone; it is also one of the best recovery tools.
Lacrosse balls have many different uses when it comes to sports therapy. The reason that it is so effective is because of the density and size of the ball. It is able to fit into small crevices and areas of our bodies that the foam rollers and sticks simply cannot reach. The density of the ball helps with getting deep into our muscles to roll out tight spots, as well as hitting trigger points.
Here are 5 great ways to put a lacrosse ball to use in sports therapy:
- Tight Hips
- Place the lacrosse ball on the ground, lay on top of the ball. Place the ball in the front crevice of hips, in the groin area. Let as much of your weight onto the ball without hurting yourself, the goal of these recovery exercises is not to cause more pain however it may not feel pleasant. You can move your hips to make a circle with the ball.
- Another way to loosen up the hips is to place the ball on the ground and sit on top of the ball. The ball should be towards the outside of your glutes, then bend your leg at a 90-degree angle and place your foot on your opposite quadricep. This position is a seated glute stretch. This method will loosen up your hips as well as your glutes Now you can roll the ball in circles.
- Shoulder immobility
- Place the lacrosse ball on a pole or the edge of a wall and lean on to the lacrosse ball. The ball should be in the anterior crevice of the shoulder joint in between the pectoral muscle and the deltoid muscle. Once again, you can roll the ball around in a circle to work the muscles.
- Another way to use the lacrosse ball on your shoulder is to place the lacrosse ball on the ground, then lay on top of it with the ball placed on the posterior part of your shoulder. You can roll the ball in a circle or lay stationary while moving your arm in different directions.
- Foot Issues
- Whether you suffer from plantar fasciitis or just have sore feet from work, a lacrosse ball can work wonders on your feet. You can do this while sitting on your couch after a day of work or while standing. Place the ball on the floor and then your foot on top of the ball. Roll the ball back and forth, side to side, in circles or in any direction. This will help alleviate pain in the muscles and tendons of your foot.
- Carpal Tunnel
- Carpal tunnel can be an issue for many working people as it can be caused by constantly gripping a pen/pencil or typing on a computer. A lacrosse ball is a very good way to make sure that the tendons and muscles don’t tighten up and cause carpal tunnel. When at work you can place the lacrosse ball on a table and roll your arm on top of the ball from the wrist to the elbow.
- Trigger Points
- Another way to use lacrosse balls for recovery is trigger point therapy. To do this, find a trigger point in the muscle that is causing pain. Then, place the lacrosse ball in this area and put your weight onto the ball so that pressure is applied and the lacrosse ball is able to release the trigger point with this pressure.
Contact SpineFit today to schedule your Phoenix Sports Therapy consultation and get you back in action quickly and safely.
