I also incorporate the Total Body Stretching DVD which has 3 segments - No Equipment; SB 1 and SB 2. I always include a stretch after each workout!Now that I have STS 2 I'm really way more interested in doing extra long stretches. Some of her sts stretch videos are hard for me because of my lower back and hamstrings are not flexible. Stretch Max gives me the option of a stability ball or band which gives me extra support. Will be doing these for awhile and work my way up to the STS 2 stretch videos
I love all the mobility workouts!!
I also like the Stretch Max band workout!
Oh I do too and love using it with her new bands ...but the stability ball is my fave on that dvd
I forgot all about that one! Thanks nickisteen!
Gosh, I guess I forgot about that whole dvd. Gotta give the ball one a try too! I love "toys"
A favorite with nice variety.Now that I have STS 2 I'm really way more interested in doing extra long stretches. Some of her sts stretch videos are hard for me because of my lower back and hamstrings are not flexible. Stretch Max gives me the option of a stability ball or band which gives me extra support. Will be doing these for awhile and work my way up to the STS 2 stretch videos
It's a great question, according to my chiropractor. Years ago, I asked him that same question, because the roller he gave me hurt. If you have a stability ball, you can kind of arch your back over it and rock it around a bit for a slight fascial release. You can also use a massage ball or tennis ball for "trigger" points in your back. If it's too sensitive (painful), try that same ball between your back and a wall, where you have better control of the amount of pressure. If a tennis ball is too dense when starting out, you can use a softer bigger ball (like Cathe sells - often used in Pilates) on the floor until you get used to it. A water bottle or tennis ball can be used for the bottom of aching feet. If they're swollen, fill one of your old water bottles mostly with water and throw it in the fridge/freezer for foot pain relief for rolling. Happy Baby (yoga) is a position/move that helps massage the back as well with no equipment. As far as following along with Cathe's foam rolling workout without a roller, I think that would be challenging, because you'd spend the whole time trying to figure out how you were to do each body part. For just releasing tightness as needed, there are a lot of ways to do it without the roller. As for rollers... if you decide to purchase one, don't go too firm. I am inexperienced in using a foam roller on the entire body, but I've been using one on my back for years. I have almost no body fat and my chiropractor kept asking me, "have you been using your roller?" I kept saying that I'd been trying, but it hurt. He kept telling me I'd get used to it. I got so sick of him asking me about it that one day I turned my back to him and lifted my shirt so he could see my spine. It was black and blue. He never asked me to use that horrid thing again. I used alternate methods until I bought Cathe's roller, which I'm in love with. It's just right for me. It's firm enough that it supports me, wide enough that I don't have to keep readjusting it, and soft enough that it doesn't bruise me. Foam rolling can be uncomfortable, but I feel so much better after doing it. If it's painful, use a softer roller, an adaptation (rolling against a wall), etc. It takes awhile to get used to it, but I think it's worth it. Some people do build up to a harder roller, but I'm not one of those people. My Cathe roller works great on my back, and when I get a chance, I'm going to do her upper and lower foam rolling workouts so that my whole body can benefit from it.
You can do foam roller workouts substituting other equipment, depending on the exercise. You can use a mini ball for rolling out the muscles, which you can inflate or deflate to control how hard it is. This is a good option if your muscles are really sore, and you're not used to foam rolling. I tend to use the mini ball on my IT band and hip area. For calves, hamstrings and quads you can only roll one leg at a time, but this is also the case if you have a shorter roller. For the chest expansion where Cathe lies length ways along the roller, you can use a yoga bolster as a softer option if you have one. If you are any good at crafts, you could even make a cover for your roller using softer material. Another alternative is to get some old towels or something similar and wrap those around the roller and tape them in place.
I have NO idea, sorry!
