The average massage can cost anywhere between $65-$225 depending on what’s included and where you go for treatment. Whether you’re wanting steam baths, hot towels on your face or simply looking for someone to work on your aggravated knots, below are a few ways you can get a massage each day while living paycheck-to-paycheck!
At-Home Massage Techniques
Tennis Ball
You can find a single tennis ball for $3 at your local store. By placing a tennis ball in the palm of your hand, you can press it to areas that may need to be worked on such as your thighs. Roll the tennis ball around in small circles at slightly different angles up and down your thigh as you massage, this will loosen up tight muscles in your quads and give you relief after a period of time.
Foam Roller
These can be found at sporting good stores and are usually between $15-30 depending on the brand and material. Foam Rollers are great tools to help you massage hard-to-reach areas such as your hamstrings or back! You can work on these areas by laying the foam roller on the floor, laying your shoulders on the roller and moving forwards and backwards using gravity and the amount of pressure that you apply to massage the areas in-need. Alternatively, you are also able to sit on the roller (so that the roller and your hamstrings are in contact with each other) and move back and forth so that you can work on loosening those muscles.
Hot Towel or Bean Bag Heating Pad
Bean Bag Heating Pads are easy to make and fun to use! You can also use a hot towel to place on the areas in-need of relaxation. Using these are beneficial because your body responds well to heat. Heat increases blood flow to injuries and reduces the amount of pain-signals being sent to a certain area. When your brain stops receiving such signals, the tendons, ligaments and muscles are able to relax and loosen up which bring pain relief and easier movement.
A More Hands-On Approach
If you’re like most of the working-world, you’re at a computer for the majority of your day and likely slouch for long periods of time. This causes our neck and shoulders to become tight and uncomfortable. One way to alleviate this tightness at home is by giving these areas a massage.
Start by relaxing your shoulders so they aren’t by your ears. Stretch out your neck by tucking your chin to your chest, then place three fingertips on your beck where the shoulders and neck meet. After doing this, firmly press and hold for 10 seconds, release your grip and move to another area on your neck and do this in a few different locations. Alternate between doing this and rolling your shoulders forward and backwards. This will slowly stretch out the muscles as you work on them. Repeat this process as needed.
No matter what techniques you use to massage yourself at home, it’s important that you give yourself time to relax both mentally and physically. Make time for yourself, you matter! If you’re looking for more ways to relax, ask me about at-home massage techniques.
