MM – Bouncing back

Oh, how I’ve missed you. I didn’t realize how much until you came back in to my life this week, after years of not having any contact. Something in my heart told me I needed you, but I didn’t listen. Then I finally mustered up the motivation, and went searching for you. I couldn’t believe how simple it was to find you. It was an easy decision to bring you home. Now I can’t imagine ever being without you again. You’ve healed pain I’d become so used to, I almost forgot it was there. I love spending these hours with you – yes, you pressure me, but I know it’s for my own good. Because of you, I’ve regained feeling. I’d be lost without you, my dear tennis ball.

I’ve had knots in my back for years – combo of computer use, book reading, and general anxiety settling in my shoulders. Hubby tried many times to get them to release, but they always came back (and for some reason, he never took me up on my suggestion that he quit his job and stay home working on my back all day, every day). I tried bunches of things – arm exercises, stretches, supplements, heating/ice packs. Recently I found something on Amazon called the Spiky Ball. You lay down on the floor, put it under the trouble spot, roll around on top of it, and it works like a deep tissue massage. I put it in my cart, but a few days later, when I was ready to order, it had gone out of stock. I poked around, looking for something similar that didn’t cost more than the $20ish, and the price started nagging at me. I started thinking about lower cost options, and a light bulb went off – did I have any tennis balls lying around?

I found my tennis racquets first, and thought I was on the right track, Unfortunately I discovered, of course, we have soccer balls, basketballs, beach balls, bouncy balls, some deflated balls, but all of our tennis balls were gone. I vaguely remembered letting Eddie have them, then deciding the resulting poop wasn’t desirable, so I never replaced them.

Next time I went out shopping, I found a can of three for far less than $20, so I grabbed them. I contemplated the best spot in the house to roll around on the floor with a tennis ball underneath, then lightning struck again. I have a high back computer chair… hmmm.

That first moment I sat in my chair, leaned into the tennis ball, and it pushed on the worst spot in my back, was a moment of pure bliss (almost as good as that first bite of chocolate… almost… ). There’s been a few instances of the ball running away, but for the most part, it’s pretty easy to maneuver around. Best part – it never gets tired. I also tried it while standing against a wall, and it works just as well.

In my completely non-expert opinion, this is an amazing way to get a deep tissue massage at home. After I post this, I’ll probably find some websites warning against the dangers of tennis balls as massage tools, but for now I’m enjoying bouncing back and my renewed relationship with Wilson.