Body Rolling: Knees and Hip Flexors
This is the main area of the body pulling on your back. This area requires many repetitions slowly and deeply to loosen up years of myofascial adhesion, which cause limited flexibility and mobility in the groin, hips, lower back and surrounding muscle groups.
Repeat many, many, many times to see change, especially when dealing with pain conditions from the knees up to the belly. Be patient when leaning the body into the ball or roller while breathing out slowly.
Use a Roller
Quadriceps
Place the leg that you wish to roll straight on the roller just below the groin. Open the other leg to your side with the knee bent to help support from the ground, but keep both hips and the belly low to the ground to increase the weight on the roller. Be still while sinking into the roller and keep the leg relaxed. After sinking in for a few breaths, slowly move forward and repeat in a Spot-by-Spot approach, working the front leg down to the knee.
Variation 1: flex and extend the knee on the roller while sinking in.
Variation 2: Place the free leg on top of the one on the roller to add intensity.
IT band
Lie on your back, bend the knees and place the outside leg (IT Band) on the roller near the hip. Be still while sinking into the roller while breathing out. After sinking in for a few breaths, slowly move to the following spot and repeat sinking in in a Spot-by-Spot approach, working the outside leg down to the knee.
Variation: extend the knee more closer to straight as you lean in and possibly lift your hips into the roller to add intensity.
Adductors
Open your knee out 90 degrees bent at the hip and the knee and place the inside of your leg (adductor muscle group) on the roller close to the knee. Open your other leg out to the opposite side and twist your body away from your bent knee, so that the pressure becomes greater for a few breaths. Slowly move towards the roller and repeat sinking in on the roller in a Spot-by-Spot approach.
Use an Inflatable Ball
Abdominals
CAUTION: Avoid pressing deeply on the bladder (just above groin).
Place the ball to the right side of the groin at the bottom of the abdominal muscles (about 1/3 distance away from the hip). Be still sinking into the ball while breathing out. After sinking in for a few breaths, slowly move downward (moving the ball up) and repeat sinking in on the ball in a Spot-by-Spot approach, working upward along the abdominals to the rib cage. Repeat back down to the groin.
Repeat up and down on the left side of the abdominals.