It is perfectly suited to giving your spine a good loosen up as it has a nice groove down the middle for your vertebrae to rest in while bulging out to give the muscle down either side of your spine a nice firm massage. You can move it up and down your spine slowly, meaning at each level it;
1. Loosens up the muscles and other soft tissues and
2. Mobilizes your spine at the same time.
Your thoracic spine is key for pain-free and strong neck and shoulders, and is far too often overlooked and missed. So if you have any neck, shoulder or upper back pain or a stiff back – this will be a great exercise for you to try and even better to combine with this myofascial release for tight shoulders.
So, here is how to make your own peanut to mobilize your spine at home:
What you need:
1. Two tennis balls. (You could also use lacrosse balls but tennis balls are best for someone who is new to this type of mobilization.)
2. Tape: A good, strong and durable tape it best.
Put it all together:
Now all you need to do is strap the two balls together – the best way to do it is lengthwise around both balls at once and then around the middle before going around and around where-ever needed to hold them together. In other words, just give it a go, there is no exact way to do it!
How to use it?
It is best used in your upper back, otherwise known as your thoracic spine. Lie on your back. Place the taped tennis balls in the upper middle of your back. Cross your arms and do a few crunches compressing the balls into an area you found discomfort in- experiment and give it a go, you will feel much better for it!
I will be making a video in the coming weeks to show you exactly how to give your upper back a good loosen up so stay tuned or make sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Good luck and let me know how you go!