8 Effective Massage Ball Exercises for Post-Workout Recovery

Every workout routine should include dedicated days or even weeks for recovery. Recovery isn’t just about resting; it’s about engaging in exercises that support your body’s healing process. Today, we share a recovery routine recommended by the Equinox team!

Matthew N. Berenc, Director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, predicts that 2016 will be the year of recovery, with high-intensity workouts taking a backseat. This shift is beneficial because constantly pushing your body can lead to fatigue and injuries, making gentler workouts essential.

Remember, recovery doesn’t mean lounging on the couch and losing progress. Instead, it involves switching to different workout styles that help your body bounce back faster after intense training.

This routine uses specialized massage balls that effectively soothe tired muscles.

Exercise 1

Stand with your back against a wall, placing massage balls between your shoulder blades on either side of your spine. Slightly bend and straighten your knees to roll the balls along your thoracic spine (upper and mid-back) in an up-and-down motion.

Exercise 2

While standing with your back to the wall, position the massage balls between your shoulder blades beside your spine. Cross your arms over your chest and rotate your shoulders while bending and straightening your knees. This movement rolls the balls up, down, and around the rhomboid muscles (upper back muscles).

Exercise 3

Lie on the floor and place the massage balls under each glute. Keep your feet together and knees apart. Begin rotating your hips in a figure-eight motion to move the balls across the entire surface of your glutes.

Exercise 4

Lie on your right side, supporting yourself on your right forearm. Extend your right leg and bend your left knee, placing your left foot on the floor. Position the massage balls under the tensor fasciae latae muscle on the outer upper thigh. Gently bend your right leg and move the balls up and down this muscle. Repeat on the other side.

Exercise 5

Sit on the floor with your right knee bent and thigh resting on the floor, and your left leg extended. Support yourself with your right hand and place the massage balls under your right thigh near the iliotibial tract. Roll the balls up and down, massaging the muscles while keeping your right leg in contact with the floor. To increase pressure, press your left hand against the inner thigh. Repeat on the other leg.

Exercise 6

Lie on the floor and place massage balls under each shoulder blade. Lift your hips and extend your arms to form a T shape with your body. Begin moving your shoulders side to side.

Exercise 7

Lie on the floor and position the massage balls under each shoulder, close to the neck (upper trapezius muscles). Extend your arms overhead with palms facing up, bend your knees, and lift your hips. Take several deep breaths, then gently rock side to side using your legs to roll the balls along your trapezius muscles.

Exercise 8

Lie on the floor and place the massage balls under the mid-back near the eighth thoracic vertebra. Relax your arms behind your head, take a deep breath, and remain in this position while breathing slowly and deeply.

I own a Blackroll massage ball like the one pictured and regularly practice the first, second, and last exercises. After watching this video, I’m definitely adding a second ball to my routine! You can’t imagine how much this workout relaxes muscles and helps combat soreness.

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