Today I’m going to talk about the differences between myofascial release using a mobility ball and a foam roller with regards to improving mobility and flexibility.
Now you’ve probably seen both of these used and a lot of people want to know which one is better.
Should I use a mobility ball or a lacrosse ball when performing myofascial release?
It really isn’t a question of what’s better or what’s worse. At the Onnit Academy, we like to think everything has a place, but you should be aware of the benefits of each.
Myofascial Release Using a Mobility Ball
Today I want to specifically talk about the benefits of using a mobility ball for myofascial release compared to a foam roller.
I would use a mobility ball over a foam roller when I want to pinpoint myofascial release in a specific muscle or a small area of the body.
One of those examples (and a prime example at that), is the hip or the piriformis in the lateral muscle.
The piriformis is one of the hip muscles on the side of your body that gets extremely tight on a lot of people.
The piriformis is tough to perform myofascial release on, and if I took a foam roller and rolled over the piriformis it may help, but as you may know, it’s a broad area.
If I use a mobility ball, I could focus right on the specific spot and pinpoint what I want to work on. The piriformis, in particular, can get a lot myofascial release benefits out of the mobility ball.
There are certain muscles where having a smaller implement to really pinpoint the area you need will work better for you. It’s not what’s better or what’s worse, it’s what’s the right implement for the issue that you’re having at any given time.
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