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Jun 2011  |  By Elyse Russo  |  Comments

20-Minute Timeout: Massaging Stress from Sore Muscles

A spa massage is a happy indulgence, one that should surely come around more often than Mother’s Day.

In between those spa treats, however, there are things you can do to capture the relief of therapeutic massage at home.

A licensed massage therapist, Sharon McLean has worked at Northwestern University’s fitness and recreation center in Evanston for 16 years. She shares a few tips to help you slow down, relax and massage the muscles in your face, neck, back, arms and feet.

McLean says don’t forget to breathe deeply and drink lots of fluids throughout this exercise.

Face
Place both palms on the sides of your face, and gently apply pressure or massage your jaw. Move your hands up your head, doing the same thing to your temples and the top of your head.

Neck and back
Massage the sides of your neck with your fingers. Or, find a tennis ball and while seated place the tennis ball between a chair and the base of your neck. Its pressure should melt some tension away.

For the back, lay down with one or more tennis balls under you and roll up and down on them, but be sure to keep them off the spine.

Arms
Squeeze your forearm with the opposite hand—this will relax arms that are tight from typing all day.

Here’s another trick: Lay one arm flat. Using the outer bone of your opposite arm, glide over the arm from wrist to elbow, applying even pressure throughout. Then treat the other arm to the same relief.

Feet
Set a golf ball (or a tennis ball) on the ground. Place your foot on top of the golf ball and let it roll under your foot. Repeat with the other foot. Keep your ball in a drawer at work—no one will know you’re getting a foot massage under your desk!