What’s in your self care toolbox?
Now, if you’re looking at me wondering what a self-care toolbox is, you need to come to us for a class, stat. Or, if you don’t live near us, check out our online program.
For me, self-care isn’t about bubble baths and good chocolate (although those are great too). Self-care is something that I do to keep my body and mind moving and healthy. And today, I’m going to share some of my favorite self-care tools that help keep me functioning so I can fix everyone that ends up on my table.
Therapy Balls: The Final Frontier
If you’ve been to our office or one of our classes, you know that I am OBSESSED with the therapy balls from Tune Up Fitness. They are always used in our classes, and I frequently recommend them to clients for their home care routine in between sessions. The Alpha is my favorite for larger muscle groups such as the hips and glutes. I liken it to an elbow deep into those tissues. Next up is the Plus. I always say that if you are can only choose just one set of therapy balls; the Plus is the way to go. Big enough for larger areas like the hips but small enough for the feet and jaw and everywhere in between. And last but never least, the Coregeous ball. This soft, pliable, air-filled ball is not only great for gentle abdominal rolling but also feels great for low back pain and, as a bonus, makes an excellent pillow on an airplane Plus, they’re much more portable than a foam roller! Many people ask me my opinion on foam rollers, and this is the only one I’ll ever use and recommend. If your foam roller doesn’t bend, you need to find one that does.
To Strap or Not to Strap….
My favorite stretching strap of all time is the Stretch Out Strap from OPTP. What I love about this strap is all of the loops. You can grab on anywhere to shorten or lengthen the distance for all of your shoulder flossing, hip flexor stretches, and everything in between.
Fitness Bands
As much as I love the idea of going to the gym 3-5 days a week, I also believe in being realistic about my goals, and some days the absolute last thing I want to do is leave my house and force myself to pick up a barbell. Or even worse, get on a treadmill. Or even worse, have another shut down hit us in a pandemic and everything be closed. Then what will you do?!
I love the Tribe Fitness Bands because of the variety of exercises I can do and their portability. I swear, at least 10 pounds of my suitcase when I travel is because of balls, bands, and straps. Okay, maybe not quite 10 pounds, but I’m in denial about my overpacking problem, so let me have this, okay?
There you have it. That’s pretty much all I regularly use when it comes to my self-care wants and needs. Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to spend an hour a day doing it for it to work. Take 10 minutes out of your day and move, roll, stretch and strengthen. Your body will thank you.
In good hands,
Rebecca Tamm, LMT
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