Using foam roller as props

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.

• 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!

Using Blocks, Chair and Swiss Ball as Props

Using a yoga block under your buttocks, feet, or hands helps you maintain proper body alignment during stretches so you can focus on deepening your stretch without pain. The cost of one block is usually around $10, and you can find blocks at most yoga studios or your local superstore.
If you love to shop online, hop on the Internet and type in yoga props and choose from the nearly one million sites that pop up.
Also, if you don’t want to invest in a block just yet, I bet you have a phone book sitting

A chair can add stability to standing stretches and can also help you get into stretches that require stress-free support of your torso. A chair is particularly useful for seniors or anyone with mobility issues. It’s also one of the best props to help a sedentary person get started with a flexibility program Make sure to use a sturdy chair without arms or wheels and that’s not too cushy.

No, the Swiss ball isn’t a ball of cheese. It’s similar to the chair, but it allows you to get into some stretches more comfortably than if you had to lie down on the floor. Lying with your tummy on the ball is great for stretching out your lower back, and using the Swiss ball to replace your chair at work helps you strengthen your core as you stretch out your legs and back. If you’ve never used a stretching ball before or if you just want some stretches that use the Swiss ball.

Using strap or towel as props

A stretching strap is a length of slightly elastic material that you can use to increase your reach. Many brands have several loops in which you can place your hands or feet to customize the strap to your height and flexibility. This elasticity helps increase your chance of achieving a comfortable, passive static stretch for a variety of muscles. No matter what the stretch, a strap can also help keep your upper back relaxed, which keeps your spine in neutral position and avoids scrunching or rounding of your back. A yoga strap is another prop that you can use and it’s usually made of cotton and comes in 6- or 8-foot lengths. Yoga straps typically don’t have the loops usually found on stretching straps. Instead, a yoga strap has a buckle that allows you to create a loop in one end of the strap. The 6-foot strap will probably be long enough for most of you, but if you’re over 6 feet tall, you may want to try the 8-foot length. These straps are easy to find on the Internet or at a local yoga center.
A towel isn’t as customizable as a stretching strap or a yoga strap, but it’s a great substitute if neither of the straps is available or if you simply don’t want to spend the money. A hand towel is a little small, so use a gym towel or small bath towel to have plenty of length to work with. But if you plan on making stretching a permanent part of your fitness routine (which I highly recommend), purchase a strap of your own. It’s a small investment of less than ten bucks, and you won’t regret it.

Using prop

A prop isn’t just part of a movie set anymore. A prop can be used for stretching and is something such as a strap, a towel, a chair, or a block that you can use to make a stretch more comfortable, accessible, and even more effective
Props have a wide variety of benefits:

• Beginners and the less flexible can use them to perform a stretch that they may otherwise not be able to manage.
• By providing support and reducing tension, props can help you position your body more correctly, which not only helps make your stretches as deep and effective as possible but also helps decrease the chance of injury.
• For more experienced exercisers, props allow you to deepen and intensify the stretch. I recommend using props for any stretch that you want to help make more comfortable, well balanced, and tension free. The next sections include some of my favorite props that enhance your stretching experience.

Getting dressed

Unlike in packed, sweaty group exercise classes, the optimum outfit for stretching isn’t one that makes you look good, it’s one that makes you feel good. And what I find makes me feel good is clothes that don’t get in the way. Always wear comfortable clothing that doesn’t bind or restrict your movement but that still enables you to see your body so you can tell what you’re actually doing.
Ballet dancers wear leotards and tights so they can see if their back is arched or straight and the same principle applies for stretching . . . you have to be able to see what your body is doing so you can focus on specific muscles.

Preparing Space

One of the most fundamental and most often overlooked aspects of flexibility training (as with most workout programs) is commitment, and true commitment is reflected both externally — by creating a specific, special place to stretch — and internally — getting yourself into the right frame of mind.
If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, you know what I mean by getting in the right frame of mind (an open neat space with soft, serene music and a teacher who whispers). All these external and internal factors add up to a better stretching experience, so you can look forward to your next stretching session even more.
Organizing your surroundings
Here are a few things you can do to keep your space (external factor) uncluttered:

• Establish a space large enough to extend your body fully. You may have to move some of the furniture around you, but there’s nothing more annoying than having to move things while you’re stretching. Get it taken care of ahead of time and you won’t have to deal with the interruption while you’re stretching.
• Make the room warm. An ideal stretching room is a warm room because your muscles respond more to stretching when they’re warm. So don’t crank up the air conditioner just because you hate to sweat.

Because stretching can’t be hurried or rushed, you have to move slowly and deliberately.
Such an attitude should also be reflected in your mental approach (next section).
Collecting your thoughts
Here are a few things you can do to keep your mind (internal factor) uncluttered:

• Relaxing music: You can buy instrumental or relaxation CDs that definitely allow you to unwind more easily and help you have a great mind/body experience.
• Planning ahead: Make sure that your workout isn’t interrupted. Turn off the phone, put your Blackberry where you can’t see it, and tell your kids you’ve moved away to join the circus.