Day to day, we face a great deal of tasks and responsibilities that eat up almost our entire day and energy. We wake up, go to our respective work, and go home. This has become our daily draining routine that sometimes, we just need to take a time off and just relax.
When we say relax, we think of a massage parlor— with mint-scented and dim-lit rooms, essential oils that glide on our body like butter on a hot pan, and a masseur that will surely take our stress away. This is definitely a perfect treat after a long and tiring day. Massage is not even only a treat but also a healthy activity that your body deserves. It promotes better blood circulation, relaxes the tensions in the muscle, and soothes anxiety and depression.
In most cases though, taking a time off our busy schedule to book a massage therapist is almost quite impossible. The hustle of life or the inadequacy of budget just doesn’t allow this simple bliss. No need to worry now as there are self-massage techniques for an effective massage in the comfort of your homes. Upgrade your self-massage experience by performing these techniques in your home steam sauna or home infrared sauna – that feels just like a massage at the spa.
Here are some self-massage techniques for different body parts you might want to master for an effective and blissful self-massage experience:
Head massage
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A throbbing headache ruins a perfect day. Follow these simple steps using only your hands to alleviate a headache:
- Placing the thumbs high up the cheekbones near the ears, apply pressure in a circular motion on your temples.
- Continue drawing circular motion as you move along your hairline until the fingertips meet in the middle of the forehead.
- As you move closer to the temples, increase the size and pressure of the circular motions.
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Shoulder and neck massage
A long day sitting at the office and hunching on your computers can put you at risk of tensed and pained shoulder and tight neck. Try this technique in addition to your favorite neck massager to ease the pain around the area:
- Using your right hand, reach over your left shoulder across the chest.
- Press the neck muscle using your thumb’s knuckle.
- While pressing the neck muscle with the thumb’s knuckle, rotate your head and neck gently.
- Using your fingertips, gently put pressure on your back and rotate the left shoulder blade.
- Repeat these steps on your right shoulder.
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Back massage
Back pain is a common complaint in almost all age group and can quite be annoying and disabling at times. What’s worse is that most daily activities tend to make back pains even more painful. Sometimes, the promising back massager on the market can’t just seem to alleviate the pain. Fix this problem with this simple self-massage technique using a massage or tennis ball:
- You can choose two positions for this technique, either you place a tennis ball on the floor and lie on top of it, or place it between your back and a wall.
- Target areas of tension by moving side to side or up and down, allowing the ball to slide on your back.
- You may increase pressure as desired to target muscle tightness.
Thigh and leg massage
A normal effect of moving around a lot is tightness and pain in our legs and some tissues in our thighs. This is a straining problem as it restricts your daily movements and hinders activities. One solution you might want to consider is using a leg massager. Another thing to do is to use a foam roller and follow the following steps for an effective thigh and leg massage:
- Position yourself by lying on your side with the foam roller under the hip.
- Start to move up and down, allowing the foam roller to roll form your hip to your knee.
- For the legs, gently squeeze and apply pressure using your hands to ease muscle tightness.
- Repeat the same steps with the other leg.
Foot massage
Aside from a foot spa, a foot self-massage can be executed to ease pesky pains on the feet brought about by excessive walking or running. You could also use the best foot massager available on the market which might cost you a little fortune. With the aid of a massage or tennis ball, follow the following easy steps to relieve feet pain without a cost:
- Start with a sitting position with your bare feet, or you could wear socks on and place the ball beneath your foot.
- Slowly and firmly roll the ball back and forth from your heel to your toes.
- If there is a point where a painful or tenderness is felt, work it out by gently rolling the ball in a circular motion until the pain is relieved.
- If more pressure is desired, you can stand instead of sitting down.
Perform the same steps using the other foot and repeat when necessary
Why Self-Massage?
Self-massage techniques are methods that can be performed on your body to relieve muscle tightness and target different trigger points. These are low-maintenance techniques that make use of fingers, hands, elbows, or other simple items like a massage or tennis ball or foam rollers.
In addition to the relief of muscle pains and tensions, self-massage also:
- Promotes relaxation
- Calms the nervous system
- Stimulates energy
- Improves blood circulation
- Reduces chances of insomnia
- Helps soothe anxiety and depression
Currently, many people prefer the ease of self-massages over that of the massage therapists. The following are some of the reasons why:
- It is a practical activity that you do anytime and anywhere.
- You save time from booking for a professional masseur.
- It is way cheaper than most massage therapists.
- Unlike many body massage packages, you can have better focus and control in certain areas of your bodies that are really bothering you.
- No need to worry about being touched by people you don’t know or going into places like spas.
Few Reminders for A Safe Self-Massage
Like any other methods and practices, safety must be the number one priority. Self-massage carry risks caused by ill-execution of the techniques. When performing these techniques, always keep track of the correct angle and positioning, how much pressure is applied, what tools are used, and how to use them appropriately.
In performing self-massage, one must keep in-tune with the body’s sensations and feelings. A rule of thumb is to keep in-tune with the body’s inner sensations and listen to what the body is telling you. Never go beyond your pain tolerance as ill-performed self-massaged may cause short-term or long-term damages. Always remember that self-massage, when done correctly and reasonably well, is a safe and effective alternative to expensive massage therapists.
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