Pool Noodles-Part 2

As we wind down the summer activities, and put away the beach buckets, shovels, nose plugs and pool toys, I again fall into my habit (some call it a "talent". I'm not so sure about that!) of finding the potential to adapt & use items for purposes they were not intended for! Today our target is again, Pool Noodles.

In my first related post, "Use Your (Pool) Noodle" (see May's Archives) I showed you how to use pool noodles as a "Pizza" roller for deep muscle and tactile input all over the body for sensory integration. Today is a follow-up & related activity and another great use for pool noodles to stimulate pressure points in the feet and hands.

Reflexology & acupressure are two little known tools for self-calming & improved focus. Massaging specific points on your hands & feet with your thumb will help reduce anxiety, stress and tension.  The pool noddle is a fun way to get children to do this regularly. It will massage and stimulate all the pressure points (about 5,000 of them in each hand and foot)  and have a regulating, grounding & calming effect. This is especially useful for children with poor hand strength & diminished fine motor skills who cannot use their thumb to massage these points in their hands or feet. 

This is not only simple and minimally distracting to others, but an effective way to calm and balance those organ-systems in the body. The child can do this for himself when needed.

For older children, when you combine these pressure techniques with deep breathing exercises the effects are multiplied. The result is a powerful technique you, your child or your student can use anytime, anywhere to calm and relax.  

In the last post, I instructed you to cut the noodles in half. This time, we will  cut it into 4ths. Take one of the the pieces of noodle and set it on the floor as shown at right. Have your child-or students-in bare feet-(socks are OK but bare feet gives a more full tactile experience & better input.) place their foot over the noodle & roll their foot back and forth the whole length of foot from heel to toe. They can apply a little pressure by stepping down if they like.

This technique can also be applied to the hands as shown in the photo at the left.

Be sure to have children switch and do BOTH feet or hands or this may have the opposite effect-and leave a feeling of unbalance. 

Try it yourself. You can also use a tennis ball, small stubby therapy ball or a super bounce rubber ball.








For more information about reflexology & acupressure, please contact barbara@bodylogique.com