Anyone For Tennis Aka How A Tennis Ball Can Help You Get In Shape Faster!

Anyone for tennis?

Well there's tennis fever as usual for Wimbledon, but that is not really the point of this article, it just reminded me to remind or alert you guys to the power of the tennis ball in helping you get more flexible and get more out of your training programme!

Yes, a tennis ball can do all that!

Confused? You may have read my article on foam rollers a while ago (along with a downloadable instruction manual and links to some good vids). A foam roller basically is a self massage tool, which you use by lying on it on the ground and moving yourself around to massage the tight spots on your body - for most people calves and ITB (outside edge of thigh) are top priorities (try it - if it is tender or sore you really need it!!!) but also great for quads, glutes and other areas (check out the link above for more info).

There are a couple of limitations to the foam roller, though. Firstly as they are quite big they are only really good for bigger muscle groups. Luckily, that is where the tennis ball comes in - it does the same thing with the same effect (releasing the fascia, or connective tissue, that keeps your muscles tight even if you stretch them regularly) but the smaller size means you can get into those tight spots more easily. You can place the ball against a wall, and use that to get your trap (shoulder / neck) muscles for example.

The use I want to focus your attention on right now, though, is the feet. And this is also where the ball has advantages over the foam roller.

You simply place the ball on the floor and roll the base of your feet over it, getting into all the nooks and crannies. This releases the connective tissue all the way up the body and can even result in improved hamstring flexibility, so is a perfect thing to do before each workout, as well as just generally. If you have any issues with feet, such as plantar fasciitis, it is definitely something you need to be doing daily.

The reason the ball may even trump the foam roller is convenience and simplicity. You can fit a ball in your bag easily but also you can leave a few around the house for impromptu usage. I have one by the sofa and one under each desk (one desk being the dining room table, I have an intermittent aversion to using the actual office!) and you can easily roll your feet while doing something else, which means you are more likely to be able to do it every day. Foam rolling you have to actively focus on (while you can do it while watching TV it's still more active) and it does often end up being the thing that gets forgotten about.

So, find yourself a tennis ball and get rolling! Once things loosen up you can progress to a lacrosse ball and then a golf ball, I tend to use the tennis ball and the golf ball too. The spiky physic balls are really great too, you get a huge feeling of 'foot massage' with those.

You will improve your flexibility, which will improve your performance in exercises such as squats, which mean you can work harder at them and work your muscles more effectively, so you can burn more fat during workouts and get in shape more efficiently - result, huh?!


Copyright (c) 2011 Caroline Radway