Flexibility Challenge Week 4: Lacrosse Ball Mobility & Flexibility

We made it to the last week of our 30-Day Flexibility Challenge!

Throughout this challenge we’ll be working to make our bodies more mobile and flexible so that we can move better and stay pain-free. Staying flexible and mobile will help you keep getting stronger and healthier, and is so important!

Each week, we’ll have a different focus. During the last week of this challenge, we’ll be releasing some tension in our bodies by using a lacrosse ball (but you can also use any other small ball that is firm enough). Check out Week One, Week Two, and Week Three of the challenge if you missed them.

Lacrosse Ball for Massage & Increased Mobility

Massaging with a lacrosse ball is similar to foam rolling, but the difference is that it gets into smaller muscles that you can’t quite get with the foam roller. For example, with a small ball, you can roll the muscles between the spine and the shoulder blade which is a really tough place to get with a foam roller.

As with foam rolling, you should start slowly and pause on any sore spots, breathing into the tension.

Do these drills on your rest day or any day when your muscles feel tight! You don’t need to be super warm to do these, although as always ease into them and don’t push to the point of pain.

Week 4 Lacrosse Ball Massage & Mobility Routine

Complete 1-2 rounds:

• Feet
• Calves
• Calves & Hamstrings
• Quads
• Hips
• Lower Back
• Shoulders & Upper back

Feet

How to do it: Roll the lacrosse ball under your feet while sitting or standing. This one feels especially good first thing in the morning or at night after a long day!

Calves

How to do it: Sit down with your right leg extended and left bent for better balance. Simply roll the ball under your right calf muscles, experimenting with the tension and pausing on any sore spots.

Repeat on the other side.

Calves & Hamstrings

How to do it: Sit down on the floor. Bend your right knee and put the ball between your calf and hamstring muscle and squeeze it. When you find a tight spot, hold the ball there and breathe into it.

Repeat on the other side.

Quads

How to do it: Lie down on your stomach and place the ball under your right thigh. When you find a tight spot, start bending and extending your knee. Do as many reps as you need to in order to release the tension.

Repeat on the other side.

Hips

How to do it: Sit down, both knees bent and feet down. Place your right ankle over your left thigh. Place the ball under the left hip, roll up & down, back & forth, until you feel the tension release.

Repeat on the other side.

Lower Back

How to do it: Lie on your back with both of your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Place the ball under your lower back, then bring your right knee to your chest and lower back down. Repeat until you feel any tension release.

Repeat on the other side.

Shoulders & Upper Back

How to do it: Lie on your back. Place the ball between yoour shoulder blade and spine on the right side. Once you find the right spot, start moving your right arm up and down slowly until you feel any tension release, pausing on any tight spots.

Repeat on the other side.

The post Flexibility Challenge Week 4: Lacrosse Ball Mobility & Flexibility appeared first on 12 Minute Athlete.

from 12 Minute Athlete https://ift.tt/2GpyNnL
via IFTTT