Besides being used as a ball to serve on tennis courts and throw for your dog, tennis balls can be used to exercise and stretch the back and core muscles in a unique and helpful way. There are a wide variety of exercises that can be learned and used surrounding the sole use of a tennis ball.
Melt Around the Tennis Ball
Lay down on your back and place a tennis ball between the scapula and spine of your back. This is the upper part of the back between the shoulder blades. Then bring your hands and forearms behind your head and reach back as far as you can. If your forearms don't naturally touch the ground here, put a pillow underneath them, as you will be laying in this position for an extended period of time. Now breathe deep, inhaling and exhaling slowly over the course of five minutes. Your body will melt around the ball, stretching your back and making your core stronger.
Three Balls in a Sock
Take three tennis balls and put them into a tube sock, tying the top of the sock off so the tennis balls cannot squeeze out and get away. Take the tennis ball exercise tool you have just made and put it under the small of your back as you lay face up on the floor. Then push yourself up and down the floor on the tennis ball, not only relieving sore muscles but strengthening your legs and your core as you roll back and forth on this sock made of tennis balls. Do it slowly and don't forget to breathe while you do this exercise.
Sciatic Nerve Exercise
The sciatic nerve runs from your back down your leg and can often cause people a serious amount of pain if it is inflamed or hurt in any way. Tennis ball exercises can help this. Take a tennis ball and place it right above one buttock, where the pocket on the back of a pair of pants would be. Lie on your back with your legs bent and slowly experiment with how it feels to put light pressure on the ball. Slowly roll your body over the ball and sit up, then roll your body back over the ball to lie down. After doing a few reps of this, try it on the other buttock. This can help in relieving sciatic nerve pain.
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