The holidays can be very stressful and busy, and as that stress builds up, you will begin to feel it in many areas of your body.  Your muscles could start to feel tense, and after a few days, you will feel as if you are in constant pain. This can cause you to have trouble sleeping and a vicious cycle will begin.  

Understanding that tension is often caused by myofascial pulls and it occurs when your fascia, which is the material that connects all of your muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments, gets super tight.  The normal fascia should be flexible and supple, but stress and doing too much, while not taking care of yourself, can cause it to grip and stop working properly.  

One of the best ways to get rid of your pain, besides lowering your stress levels and not doing as much, is to do myofascial releases.  A myofascial release focuses on relieving muscle tightness and reducing the pain while breaking down scar tissue and adhesions. The best part is that it can also improve the alignment of your skeleton and muscles.  

There are many tools that you can use for myofascial releases, but my favorites are rollers and small balls.  These tools allow you to loosen the correct muscle while focusing on the exact spot that is hurting the most.  Plus, they are super easy to use on your own!

All that you need to do is use the roller or ball, and whenever you find a tight spot, keep the roller or ball there for thirty to sixty seconds.  This is going to feel really uncomfortable at first, but once the fascia releases slightly, you will notice a slight improvement. It will take multiple sessions before your fascia is restored to how it was before the holidays, but it will improve more each day.  

I recommend continuing to use the rollers and small balls long after the holidays, as they will keep your fascia in optimal condition.  Plus, once your fascia is in excellent condition, you will be able to move with much more freedom than ever before.  

Try out myofascial releases today and see how much of a difference it makes in how much better your entire body feels.  I know that once you get over that initial discomfort, and see some positive results, you will be a fan of myofascial releases as much as I am!