DE-STRESSING TOOLS

One of the mainstays of the spa experience is the hands-on massage. You can help relieve or loosen taut muscles yourself using a variety of tools, including beaded back massagers, electric muscle massagers, and spiky foot massage balls.

At the end of a busy day, most people find they are carrying a lot of tension in the back and shoulders and also experiencing a cramping feeling or pain in the feet. In case you don’t have an in-house masseuse or reflexologist to help you find relief, there are tools you can purchase that will get the job done.

De-stressing Tools

MINI-MASSAGE OPTIONS

In addition to helping to relieve upper-body tension, back massagers make a good pre-exercise step. The current thinking is that before you stretch, perform yoga, or do any sort of gym routine or workout, it helps to warm up your muscles. Back massagers accomplish this by easing away the tightness and stiffness in several muscle groups, allowing you a wider range of motion once you start to move in earnest. They also allow you to focus on certain areas, such as a crick in the neck or a sore shoulder.

Wooden Roller: This simple tool consists of rows of rounded beads strung on corded rope with wooden handles. You swing the beads behind you and move your arms back and forth, like a cross-country skier, rolling the beads across your neck, back, shoulders, buttocks, and waist. You can really get a good waist swivel going once you master the correct motion, giving yourself an aerobic experience as well. There are also small, handheld wooden rollers that focus on the neck and shoulders.

Stacked rocks in palm of hand

Electronic Massagers: These devices can be chair cushions (often heated), car seats, or handheld mini-massagers that vibrate or pulse and help ease back pain and tension. The handheld variety is ideal for the home spa—it can be used anywhere on the body there is tension or tightness. Just make sure to keep it away from any water sources.

Foot Massage Ball: This spiky plastic ball that looks like a dog toy is actually a great way to ease your tired feet. You can either sit down and alternately run the bare right and left foot over the ball, or lean one hand on a wall for balance and press the ball beneath one foot, gently shifting it around for a deep massage. Other benefits follow.

• Use the ball to relieve joint pain, strengthen feet and ankles to prevent injury, and assist recovery from a previous injury.

• Rolling your feet over the ball for 15 minutes at bedtime increases circulation, makes you feel calmer, and helps you fall asleep.

• These balls replicate the benefits of reflexology, which has a startling effect on migraine sufferers, who, in studies, more frequently reported relief with foot massage than with the most popular migraine medication.

• Foot massage also helps to address symptoms of anxiety and depression.

• A daily workout with the ball eases the pain of plantar fasciitis and may safely reduce edema in pregnant women.

• Three 10-minute spiky ball sessions a week can lower blood pressure.

Rubber massage ball