The foam roller is a lightweight cylinder that comes in many different sizes. When stretching, you can use the foam roller as a prop to make positions more comfortable by supporting your back or other body parts, thereby allowing you to keep good form and proper alignment.
Physical therapists and private trainers use this prop to improve balance, body awareness, and flexibility in their patients. But what really makes the foam roller unique from other props is that you can actually use it to release muscular tension and pain. Imagine a rubber band that has a knot in it — no matter how much you stretch that rubber band you’ll never get rid of the knot. Everyone gets a muscle with a knot (localized tightness often caused by tension or overuse) and sometimes stretching isn’t enough. That’s where the foam roller comes in handy.
By positioning your body to slowly roll on the foam roller you can actually release the knots in your muscles. Here’s a great example of how you use a foam roller to release tension in your back:
1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Flatten your back by pressing your back into the floor and gently contracting your abdominal muscles and buttocks without raising your ribcage.
3. Repeat the same flat back position with a foam roller.
Physical therapists and private trainers use this prop to improve balance, body awareness, and flexibility in their patients. But what really makes the foam roller unique from other props is that you can actually use it to release muscular tension and pain. Imagine a rubber band that has a knot in it — no matter how much you stretch that rubber band you’ll never get rid of the knot. Everyone gets a muscle with a knot (localized tightness often caused by tension or overuse) and sometimes stretching isn’t enough. That’s where the foam roller comes in handy.
By positioning your body to slowly roll on the foam roller you can actually release the knots in your muscles. Here’s a great example of how you use a foam roller to release tension in your back:
1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Flatten your back by pressing your back into the floor and gently contracting your abdominal muscles and buttocks without raising your ribcage.
3. Repeat the same flat back position with a foam roller.
- Lie on the roller with hips and knees flexed and feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your back flat and in contact with the roam roller.
4. Add a few movements to your stable core position by slowly rolling your body back and forth while the foam roller is pressing into your back.
5. To strengthen your core, raise one leg while maintaining a neutral spine and lower the leg and raise the other leg.
Alternate raising and lowering your legs, making sure to keep your back in contact with the foam roller at all times.
The cost of a foam roller is about $25 — a heck of a lot cheaper than a massage or a visit to your chiropractor!
5. To strengthen your core, raise one leg while maintaining a neutral spine and lower the leg and raise the other leg.
Alternate raising and lowering your legs, making sure to keep your back in contact with the foam roller at all times.
The cost of a foam roller is about $25 — a heck of a lot cheaper than a massage or a visit to your chiropractor!
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