1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47732
2. Upper Back (Thoracic Spine)
Start: Rest your back against the broad side of a roller positioned underneath your shoulder blades. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. Lift your butt and place your hands behind your head, or cross your arms over your chest.
Roll: Keeping your core muscles tight, slowly roll forward and back so that the roller moves up and down between the middle of your back and the top of your shoulder blades.
Tip: Don’t tilt your head forward to look at your legs as you roll – this may place stress on the spine. Keep your head and neck in line with your back at all times.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47733
3. Latissimus Dorsi
Start: Lie on your right side with your right arm extended along the floor as shown, and the roller directly under your right armpit – the roller should be perpendicular to your body. Bend your left arm and lightly place your left hand on the floor for support.
Roll: Roll up and down so the roller moves from your armpit to just above your waist. Once you’re finished, switch positions to work your left side.
Tip: Keep the thumb of your extended arm pointed up towards the ceiling – this puts your arm in a position that helps pre-stretch your lats.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47734
4. Quadriceps
Start: Lie face down with the roller positioned directly under your thighs. Bend your elbows so that your forearms are flat on the floor to support your weight – your feet should be suspended above the floor as shown.
Roll: Keeping your abs drawn in and core muscles tight, use your arms to gently roll your body forward and back to move the roller up and down from your pelvic bone to just above your knees.
Tip: Want to increase the intensity and really get at that ache? Stack your feet to roll one quad at a time
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47735
5. Iliotobial (IT) Band
Start: Position your left hip against the broad side of a roller on the floor. Cross your right leg over your left as shown, and put both hands on the ground for support.
Roll: Using your left arm to assist the motion, roll your thigh back and forth over the roller from just below your hip to above your knee. Continue rolling for the allotted time, then switch positions to work your right leg.
Tip: If you need more pressure to loosen things up, stack your legs – but keep in mind that your stability will be challenged.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47736
6. Glute
Start: Sit on the floor with your legs straight. Extend your arms to lift your glutes, place the broad side of a foam roller under your butt, and bend one leg and angle your body so one cheek bears the brunt of your weight.
Roll: Move your glute back and forth across the roller (keep in mind that the range of motion will be small). When your time is up, shift your weight to the other side and repeat.
Tip: Press through your palms and move through your shoulders to shift forward and back
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47737
7. Hamstrings and Glutes
Start: Sit with your legs extended in front of you and the broad side of a roller positioned directly under your thighs. Place your hands flat on the floor behind you for support.
Roll: Using your arms to initiate the motion, slowly roll back and forth to move the roller up and down from the bottom of your glutes to just above your knees.
Tip: As you roll, try rotating your legs in and out from the hips – this will allow you to hit your hamstrings more thoroughly.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47738
8. Calves
Start: Sit on the floor with the roller underneath your calves. Place your hands on the floor behind you and raise your butt off the floor – all of your body weight should be on your hands and the roller.
Roll: Slowly roll forward and back to move the roller up and down from just below your knees to above your ankles.
Tip: To up the intensity, do the move one side at a time by stacking your legs. To change the emphasis, try turning your feet in or out as you roll.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47739
9. Shins
Start: Get on your hands and knees on the floor, with the broad side of a foam roller placed underneath your shins; your hands should be positioned just in front of your shoulders on the ground, and your heels rotated slightly outward.
Roll: Shift your weight forward, bringing your shoulders in front of your hands, to move the roller from your ankles to just below your knees.
Tip: Make sure you don’t roll directly onto your knees – this can cause discomfort and exacerbate injuries.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Attachment 47740
10. Buying the Perfect Roller
If you’ve never invested in a foam roller, you’re doing your muscles a major disservice. Regularly using a foam roller offers many of the same benefits as a sports massage, including reduced inflammation, scar tissue and joint stress, as well as improved circulation and flexibility.
When shopping around for the right roller, choose the right density. The more dense a roller is, the more pressure will be applied to your muscles when using it. If you’re new to foam rolling, begin with one that’s softer, and advance to a denser model as your muscles adjust over time. A few of our faves:
Soft Roller
SPRI’s EVA Full Foam Roller 36 provides the perfect amount of pressure for roller newbies. $40
Hard Roller
The Grid 2.0 Foam Roller has a hard core, plus a grid pattern that allows you control the intensity of your session. $65
Travel Roller
Throw the 18-inch Merrithew Short Foam Roller Deluxe into your overnight bag for all of your on-the-go foam-rolling needs. $30,
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
THESE HURT (in and good way) but feels ooooooooooooohhhhhh sooooooo good lol I finally had to get my own since my trainer only had 2 and bring it to classes.
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nae72
THESE HURT (in and good way) but feels ooooooooooooohhhhhh sooooooo good lol I finally had to get my own since my trainer only had 2 and bring it to classes.
They help so much. The IT band one is a killer though, but it helps knee pain to keep that from getting to tight
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
OMGAWSH!! that blond is so hot!!! I want to foam roll her with my own tongue!! daaaaaaaaamn!!
B2J
Re: 8 Foam Roller Exercises
P.S. I truly do disagree with foam rolling the lats however.
B2J