The amazing world of Yoga Tune-up® Therapy Balls!

Course materials

I recently attended The Roll Model Therapy course with Rachelle Gura, a certified Yoga Tune Up®, meditation, and Pilates teacher, to expand my knowledge and skill of rolling out tight tissue and trigger points. If you haven’t heard of or been exposed to Yoga Tune-up® Therapy Balls, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss with you how great they are!

Yoga Tune-up® therapy balls were developed by Jill Miller, the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and creator of the corrective exercise format Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model Method®. Yoga Tune-up® balls are these cool “grippy, pliable rubber balls that help eradicate your aches and pains and reform your body from the inside out.” They are a great take home treatment tool that I recommend to many of my patients, family and friends that are in need of joint and muscle pain relief, stiffness, and tissue tension when I’m not around!

They work differently than other tools that you have around your home such as tennis balls as they are not hollow; they mould and grip to your tissue and get deeper into the tissue layers safely. 

My favourite routine, which I do frequently at home, is massaging my feet out and who doesn’t suffer from achy feet! Most of us spend our days walking around all day on pavement and wearing fancy shoes that are usually not very supportive. This routine is especially great for those of you who need to wear heels all day!

Common foot complaints that i see in my office:

1. Plantar fasciitis
2. Painful bunions
3. Arch pain 
4. Heel pain

Background Science - Trigger points are taut painful bands of tight tissue due to daily strain and stress from repetitive work, sports injuries, overuse, underuse, or abuse to our tissues. It causes the tissue to replace healthy tissue with tight balls of haphazard tissue adhesions that have little blood supply making it difficult for our bodies to break down and release on our own. 

Rolling out your feet! 

Great way to help break-in your new pair of yoga tune-up therapy balls.

1. Start by standing and squash the ball in the middle of your foot and hold for 5-10 breaths
2. Roll the ball along the arch of your foot while standing 10-20 times
3. Place the ball under your heel with your toes on the ground and roll your heel 10-20 times - great for people who wear heels often!
4. Place the ball behind the toes with your heel on the ground and cross-fibre the tissue from right to left 10-20 times
5. Finish off by stripping the inner arch of your foot 10-20 times

Now walk around and sense how good your feet feel!

You can repeat this daily or as needed to help relieve tension and pain in your feet. Avoid unbearable painful sensations and put less pressure through the ball if you find it difficult to breathe. 

Till next time,

~ Dr. Romana

Miller J. The Roll Model by Jill Miller: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility, and Live Better in Your Body. Victory Belt Publishing Inc. Las Vegas, 2014.