Relieve Tight Muscles at Home Using a Tennis Ball: Simple Techniques

Do you struggle with overly tight muscles? Do you have excess tension in your legs, back or feet? Do you have a tennis ball collecting dust at home? In this workout, we'll show you how you can relieve tight muscles in the comfort of your home. All you will need is a tennis ball.  

Tennis Ball Tips: 

•  Keep the pressure gentle but sustained and the sensation satisfying but not sore
• The tennis ball works really well for the below exercises, but you can use it almost anywhere to relieve tight muscles
• Consider warming up the area to be worked on before starting
• Listen to your body and stop if anything feels uncomfortable

1. Legs

To target your leg muscles, sit on the floor with your legs outstretched, and place the ball underneath you (where the thigh meets your bottom). Slowly move from side to side, allowing the ball to slide over the muscles, placing your hands on the floor for support. This motion can be worked all the way down the leg. After that's done, try turning over and placing the tennis ball under the front of your thigh, and start the rolling motion all over again.

2. Back

To relieve your back, place a tennis ball between yourself and a wall — this works especially well for the muscles near the neck and shoulders. Lean back into the ball, and let it roll back and forth over your muscles.

3. Feet

Use a tennis ball underneath the arch of your foot to relieve tired muscles.  Sit down in a chair, and place the tennis ball under your foot. Put some pressure on the ball, and let it roll up and down the muscles of the foot.  This is an easy way to get a great foot massage!