LACROSSE BALLS
Glutes: Pop the lacrosse ball on the ground and sit onto it (slightly off to the side) with your butt cheek – propping yourself up with your hands on the floor. Whatever cheek is on the ball – take that leg and cross it over your other knee.Roll around on here in small circles.
Thorasic spine: You can use one ball for this but it’s easier with two taped together or popped into a bag so they stay together. Place both the balls on the ground and position them in the centre of your spine midway up your back (the space between the two balls should be where your spine is, with the balls either side of your spine). With your head on the ground, lift your arms slowly together above your head. Repeat as you move up your spine.
Lats: Lie on the floor and roll up onto your side (alternatively you can do this up against the wall with your arm raised). Roll the lacrosse ball in the space under your arm pits. This one is painful when you hit it! Make circular movements on the trigger point.
STRENGTH BANDS
Take one of our orange IA strength bands and perform the following:
Shoulders: Hold either end of the strength band tightly, keeping your shoulders back and down move the band upwards til it is above your head.You must maintain your position throughout.
Shoulder/chest: Hold either end of the strength band tightly with your arms outstretched in front of you. With shoulders back and down and a neutral spine, slowly pull the band apart til your arms are out at your sides.
BLACK MAGIC BANDS
Now, some people SWEAR by black magic bands and if it works for you, great! The idea behind the band is that by tightly wrapping a muscle and forcing it into it’s full range of motion, the friction caused helps to break up any ‘junk’ that simple rolling can’t reach. Then, once you release the band it sends a rush of blood through the muscle to clear out everything you’ve just disbanded.
The recommended areas for use are shoulders, elbows, thighs, calf, ankle, wrists, hands – you can use it above and below your knee as well though some people don’t like the feeling of it.
Essentially you just wrap the area you would like to flush, at about 70% tension on the band, get into a bunch of positions at full range of motion for 1-2 minutes, then release the band.
Ankle/foot: start under the ball of your foot starting from outside wrapping around the foot inwards (about 70% tension on the band), continue wrapping around your foot leaving a small space for your heel and up around your ankle. Tuck the end of the band into itself and proceed to move your ankle into full range of motion – up and down, side to side, around in circles – lunge, perform calf stretches, squat to full depth and rotate around, then release the band.
