So if you're tired of the same old story, Oh, turn some pages I will be here when you are ready To roll with the changes, yeah, yeah Keep On Rolling -- REO Speedwagon 1978 Oh my goodness! I am loving my professional soft roller. Learning to work with a roller especially for relaxation and self-massage has been an amazing journey for me so far. I’ve been able to address (like never before) the constant pain I have in my neck and shoulder which knots up, holds tension and messes with my posture and alignment. It’s a stubborn overworked and stressed out upper trapezius muscle that started to go awry after the birth of my 17 year old. Seventeen years ago, I twisted funny to lift him and found myself in a neck brace for months, and the little booger (the trapezius muscle, not my son!) continues to plague me. But now, Oh! The satisfaction of using the roller to push into and break up that knotted muscle, while releasing the tight and tense fibers through gentle rocking motions has me “Oo’ing” and “Ah’ing”! I found that the roller unlike any other tool for stretching (including the exercise ball which, if you’ve taken “On the Ball!”, you know I absolutely love) breaks up knots and surrounding tissues in order to heal stubborn areas of pain. I actually went through one whole day this week without feeling any aches or pains. That is a first for me. I also learned a position on the roller which when done for about a minute or two totally relaxes my body. Last time I did it I fell asleep on it. I’m very happy to be on this roller adventure.
My husband has long suffered periodic back and shoulder pain. He tried one of my new roller discoveries. Although reluctant to admit it, he is finding relief. I know because he keeps going to the wall with the roller to work out his pain. Why is he reluctant to admit it? He lives with me! I have put that poor man through so much. I experiment on him all the time. He has to suffer all the contraptions I pull out to fix whatever ails him and to try it before I use it on my students. He’s a great sport and we all can thank him that he allows me to practice on him. Unfortunately the last time I practiced on him he could hardly walk for a week. Now the roller is helping him heal up from that experience. Here’s one more reason to love the roller. My students love it! One of my “One-On-One” Personal Training students has a goal to de-stress. She is a 24 hour round the clock care-giver in her own home. She needs ways at home to relax her mind and body. Being very in tune to the complexities of the connection of mind and body and the importance of this connection for healthy daily living she embraced the roller with me. We used the roller to find neutral spine for relaxation, to massage through arms and wrists to help with tennis elbow, to roll through the foot to help with plantar fasciitis and to stretch out tight hip flexors. And she was able to relax and roll. Her response has been emphatic! “I love the roller!” Used by permission, Thanks Margaret! Friends, I’m enjoying the roller so much. It’s fun to explore. I’m not at a stage of life where I get to travel much. My heart longs for Italy, France, Scotland . . . I don’t know if I’ll ever get to any of those places. But I’m going places with my roller. I’m on a rolling road exploring my own connections between my body and my mind. I’m learning the language of self-massage, relaxation and Pilates for strengthening as I roll along. The travel gear is light because the roller is all that is needed. The carry-on bag consists of yoga socks and a hair band. I’ll admit feeling a little out of my comfort zone when I roll my body out on a new place, but I’m trusting my instincts and finding comfort. I’m pleased to encourage my students to new experiences and their personal benefits as they use the roller too. It’s a beautiful journey. Come with us! Let’s get “On a Roll!”
1 Comment
Suzi
12/13/2018 09:48:59 am
I love this Penny! And I also love my roller!!!
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AuthorI'm just pretending to have a fitness business so I can have a place to write. Archives
April 2020
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