Want to do your connective tissue a favor and ease tension? Then try these fascia ball exercises for the living room!
Since I discovered fascia rollers for myself, my tensions have become much better. You can work the fascia over a large area and loosen adhesions.
A very special helper is the fascia ball - also called trigger ball. With this inconspicuous training equipment you can dissolve trigger points and reach even deep-lying tensions. You can release muscle stiffness in a very targeted way.
Fascia ball exercises are especially popular in the neck. But also buttocks, thighs and feet benefit from the trigger ball workout.
Today I'll show you the best exercises with fascia ball to release tension effectively and quickly. By the way, you can use the balls as a training tool or for a soothing massage.
Table of contents
What models you can use for trigger ball exercises
Not all fascia balls are the same. There are a variety of designs. You can buy them in different sizes, shapes and degrees of hardness. There are also differences in material and color.
The smaller and harder the ball, the more pressure you can apply to the trigger points. The more pressure, the better the release of tension. But at the same time, of course, this means that working the affected area of the body is very painful.
Small balls are used especially for the chest and shoulder muscles. But also at the back of the thigh at the junction of the pomus muscle and leg flexor.
If you choose a softer and larger model, you will distribute the pressure during the fascia ball exercises to a larger region. This is optimal for beginners and those who are sensitive to pain.
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There are also differences in the surfaces. Most trigger balls have a smooth or slightly roughened surface with a fine texture.
The material used ranges from wood and cork to hard foam.
And then there are also very special models. With them, two trigger balls are connected together. This looks something like bones - this design is called Duoball.
If you don't have a fascia roller yet, I can give you the Trueball massage ball* recommend. Unlike other models, it is made of cork and is therefore much more pleasant on the skin.
You can use it to treat fascia, muscle tension and trigger points.
How to start training with fascia ball
A fascia massage sounds very pleasant and relaxing. But it is not at all. I find it very painful and anything but soothing. However, it is worth it, because if you do fascia ball exercises regularly, you will notice how your tensions disappear into thin air.
Until then it means: hang in there :)
I've gathered a few tips for you to follow if you're looking to do a workout with Trigger Ball for the first time.
- Never roll the fascia ball over the spine or joints. The balls are made only for the muscles.
- Do not apply too much pressure. Do you feel strong pain? Then the training is too intense. Take a little pressure out of the exercises by supporting yourself and not putting your full weight on the trigger ball.
- Use a low degree of hardness at the beginning and then slowly increase. As a beginner, you must first get used to this form of massage.
- Always increase the intensity and training duration slowly. Instead of rolling intensively for 30 minutes once a week, it makes more sense to do 5 minutes every day.
What else you should know: Fascial tension that develops somewhere in the body results in tension changes and overloads in completely different parts of the body. This means that if a fascia in the foot is tense, it can lead to headaches.
The pain does not only occur directly in the foot, but can occur globally in the whole body. Therefore, you should also regularly treat all fasciae and not only the place where you have pain.
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How the trigger point massage with the fascia ball works
No matter what part of your body you're tense in, there are principles of ball handling that you need to follow with every exercise.
First of all, you should know how and why the hardenings are loosened in the first place. This is explained very quickly: With your trigger ball you ensure that the blood circulation works better. Often the tensions are therefore not gone from one moment to the next. The fasciae work after the exercises and the adhesions slowly loosen.
If you want to work on a specific tension, roll your body slowly over the ball. Depending on the region where you are tense, you can either lie on the ball or place it between you and the wall.
Put the ball directly on the floor if you can stand it. Put an exercise mat underneath if the pain is too great.
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What are the best fascia ball exercises
For our fascia ball exercises you need a very ordinary model. We have the Trueball fascia ball in use. It is medium hard and so suitable for beginners and advanced players.
You can be sure that you will have a lot of pain at the beginning. However, hold the position where you feel the most pain.
For all fascia ball exercises, you should roll over the affected area about 8-12 times.
Treat foot and heel with trigger ball
Let's start comfortably with the feet. That way you have time to get used to the ball. Our fasciae are connected from foot to head. That's why a tense fascia in the foot can lead to headaches.
However, most people forget about the soles of the feet. And yet this exercise is one of the most pleasant at all.
This is how your fascia massage succeeds with tension!
- Put the ball on the floor.
- Take off your shoes.
- Initially, roll the trigger ball from heel to toes with little pressure.
- Make circular and rolling movements.
- Increase the pressure if you feel it is not intense enough.
- Change the leg.
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Roll out back pain
Nonspecific, chronic back pain is characterized by tension of the worst kind. Both under stress and at rest, it pinches and twinges. Fascia ball exercises can also help here.
But be careful: the ball must not come close to the spine. If your pain is very close to the spine, use a duoball, it is made to avoid the spine.
- Lie down on the floor. If this is too painful for you, you can also do this exercise on the wall.
- If you decide to use the floor - use a duoball!
- Place the ball so that it does not reach the spine. The duoball rolls to the right and left of it. The normal trigger ball rolls either to the right or left of the spine.
- Hold the position where the pain is most pronounced.
Trigger ball for the shoulders
If you're looking for fascia ball exercises that will put an end to your shoulder pain, then you'll love this execution.
- Stand with your back against the wall. Place the ball where you feel pain.
- Apply pressure by squatting slightly and then standing up again.
- Make circular and rolling movements and after time increase the pressure.
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Blackroll exercise for the shoulder blade
This trigger ball exercise has helped me many times myself. It is just right when you have the pain directly at the shoulder blade. And that's when you can't relieve the tension with normal rolling.
By extending your arm to the side of your body, the ball can get deeper into the fascia.
- Stand with your back against the wall.
- Place the ball on the wall. If the pain is on the right, place the ball right here.
- Extend the right arm forward. Place the left hand just in front of the right elbow. Pull the right arm to the left with the left hand.
- Do you notice how the shoulder blade opens? You can also try it without a ball at first and feel into your body.
- Now slowly roll the ball up and down on this spot.
Fascia ball for the neck
If you have tension in the side of your neck, this exercise can help you. You need a wall for this.
- Stand sideways to the wall.
- You need to tilt your upper body towards the wall by tilting your shoulders.
- Get on your knees and place the ball in the neck.
- Make slow rolling movements starting from the shoulder up to the neck.
This is how you finally get rid of stuck fasciae and tension!
Roll out the buttocks with the trigger ball
Fascia ball exercises for the buttocks are quite painful. Therefore, you should support yourself with your hands or feet.
- Put the ball on the floor. Sit on the ball with your right buttock.
- Now lie back and place the arms to the side of the body.
- If the pain allows it, put the soles of your feet together. If not, then bend the legs and take the pressure off the muscles.
- Make circular movements along the entire buttocks, simply circling the pelvis.
- Increase the pressure if necessary and stop again at the point where it hurts the most.
Treat the outside of the thighs with the trigger ball
Especially for runners and anyone who is on their feet a lot, the outer thigh tends to harden. For this exercise, a small ball does better than a large one.
- Sit on the exercise mat, bend your legs.
- Place your hands on the mat.
- Rotate the left thigh outward and place the fascia ball on the thigh.
- Now roll the ball up and down by supporting yourself on your arms and lifting your butt off the mat.
- Once you have found the painful spot, put your butt down and apply pressure to the leg. Work your way up to the hip just before the knee.
The calves
Fascia ball exercises you can of course also do for the calves. If you want, you can roll the ball from the calves up to the thighs. However, it is better to limit yourself to one region and then work on the second.
- Sit down on the exercise mat. Place the ball at the level of the left calf.
- Angle your right leg and support yourself with your arms behind your body.
- Now lift your butt off the floor and let the trigger ball roll slowly from your ankle to your knee bend.
Why a tennis ball is not a good fascia ball alternative in the long run
You have never done a trigger point massage? Then you can of course use a tennis ball for a first test. However, it is much softer than a fascia ball. Because it gives way when you apply pressure to it, it is not as suitable as a hard trigger ball.
But if you want to know what a fascia massage really feels like and actually release your tension, then you should get a trigger ball.
With a price of 6 to 15 euros, it is really affordable. Besides, you can store it well because of its small size.
Our conclusion
Fascia ball exercises help you release deep-seated tension. You can use the trigger ball for calves, thighs, buttocks, back, neck, shoulders and arms. It is a true all-rounder.
As a beginner, take it slow and don't let pain scare you away. If you do trigger ball exercises regularly, you will soon feel better!
Good luck :)
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