Relax Your Back

Low back, sore, tired and achy? Feeling in need of a massage? Then you’ll love this little homemade tool to loosen up your back!

The Peanut is a trigger point tool that is the perfect way to relax those tight muscles along your spine in your low back. And you can make it at home using two tennis balls and athletic tape. Why is the peanut so important to use to foam roll your back?

Foam rolling is a great way to loosen tight muscles, relieve muscle soreness, improve recovery and reduce trigger point sensitivity and pain. It can help improve your joint range of motion. Aka it can help your low back feel better and even help you prevent further pain and injury!

To create your own homemade peanut and relax your back, you will need two tennis balls and a roll of athletic tape. Place the two balls together. Place the end of the roll of tape on the far side of one of the balls and pull it straight across around the outside of the other ball. Pull it back around the two balls and then back to the starting spot. Pull the balls tight together as you wrap the tape.

As you wrap the tape around slightly angle it up. Pull it over the top edge of the end of the tape and wrap a second round across the balls. Keep overlapping the tape while slightly angling it up as you start to cover the balls. Once you get to the top of the balls, change the angle to go back across and around.

Go back over the first layer after the balls are covered. End the tape in the middle of the two balls and tear. Then start the tape again right over the end in the middle and wrap around the middle of the balls, pulling tight. Wrap 3 times around and then tear it off in the middle.

You then have yourself a nice Peanut! To then use the Peanut, take the two balls and place them on the ground. Lie down over the Peanut with the balls right above your butt and a ball on either side of your spine. Your spine will lie in the middle of the two balls.

Relax back over the balls, relaxing your upper back and head onto the ground. Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. As you relax over the ball, tuck one knee in then place your foot back down. Then tuck the other knee in and put the foot back down. Perform a few knee tucks on each side.

Then move the balls up to the next vertebra and relax back over. As you work up your low back, perform a few knee tucks on each side. Make sure to hold and relax on each spot.

As you hold on each place, hold for a few breaths to help the muscles relax. Do not roll super quick up and down. You can use this simple homemade tool to relax your low back and alleviate those desk job aches and pains!

Cori is the owner of Redefining Strength, a functional training facility in Orange County, California focused on helping each client find their strong. She started training and writing a fitness blog in 2011 because she wanted to empower people through diet and exercise so that they can lead healthier, happier lives.