How to Make Bean Bag Heating Pads

Heatable bean bags are a safe, inexpensive aid for strained muscles and chronic pains. Medical director of the New York City Marathon, Lewis Maharam, MD, FACSM, explains that heat helps injuries because it increases blood flow, bringing in healing cells faster. It loosens tissues and can relax muscles. When using a heatable bean bag, apply to the area that is strained or otherwise injured for 20 minutes at a time. On an injury that is swollen, apply ice rather than heat.

Instructions

1

Fold the fabric in half. Cut your desired shape and size of bag out of the cloth. No pattern is required; use your personal preference to determine the shape and size. Some options include a long, thin rectangle for draping around the neck or a 6-inch square to apply to large surface areas like the back. When you are finished, unfold the fabric and you will have two identical pieces of fabric.

2

Place the two fabric pieces on top of each other, with the patterned sides of the fabric touching and facing inward. The back of the fabric should be visible on both sides.

3

Thread the needle and sew a 1/4-inch stitch around the outside edge of the fabric, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch margin. Do not complete the stitching, but leave a 1-inch opening for filling. Turn the nearly completed bag inside out by reaching inside the opening and pulling the patterned side of the fabric through the opening.

4

Using the opening, fill the bag with your filling of choice until it is about 3/4 full.

5

Sew the opening closed. To use, microwave the bag for 1 to 3 minutes.