Foam rolling was once a technique used by professional athletes and coaches. Nowadays it is an everyday practice for people at all levels of fitness.
Before and after workout is always good. But you can also do it before bed.
Here are 7 "foam roller exercises" to massage aches and pain away, out of your muscles.
1. Calves
- Place the foam roller on the ground and sit in front of the roller. Position left leg in the center of roller just above the ankle.
- Place right leg on top for extra pressure if needed (as shown). Lift body off the ground and slowly roll forward and back along your calf.
- Externally rotate your calf slightly to hit the outer muscles. Next, turn your calf in to roll the inner part. Do this for 30 seconds. If the area feels tender, spend more time rolling it.
- Switch to the other side and repeat.
2. Hamstrings
- Sit with the foam roller under your right thigh. Place your hands on the floor behind you. Bend your left knee, cross your left ankle over your right ankle.
- Supporting your body weight with your hands, roll up and down from the bottom of your hip bone to the top of your knee, just under your right butt cheek.
- Once you find the tender spot, hold for 30 seconds or until you feel the tenderness releases.
- Switch legs and repeat on the other side.
3. Glutes (Piriformis)
- Sit on the roller and cross your right leg over your left knee. Lean toward the right hip and put your weight on your hands for support.
- Slowly roll from underneath the glute to the back of your hip bone, then roll back to the starting position. Continue to roll back and forth for at least 30 seconds.
- Switch to the other side and repeat.
4. IT-band
The IT-band is a thick band of connective tissue that runs along the outside of a thigh. It begins at the hip and extends to the outer side of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. The band works with several muscles in the thigh to stabilize the outside of the knee joint.
Lie on your side with your bottom leg straight out. Cross your top leg over your bottom leg.
- Place the foam roller just above the bottom knee but on the outside of your thigh.
- Using your bottom elbow, move your body slowly by rolling up and down your outer thigh from below your hip bone to just above your knee.
- Once you find a tender spot, hold there for 30 seconds or more until you feel it releases.
- Switch to the other side and repeat.
5. Quads
- Lie face down with foam roller under right thigh above the knee.
- Using arms and left leg, begin to move body up and down four to five times, stopping halfway up right thigh or where you feel the most tension.
- Pause and hold on any tight or painful areas to workout the tension. Do this for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side.?
6. Adductor
Foam roll the muscles of the inner thigh that run from the inner knee up to the groin.
This is one area you don’t often see people foam roll and doing so in a public gym setting may attract curious eyes, but don’t let it hold you back.
This particular foam roller exercise should in fact be an important part of your foam rolling routines as adductor is one area that often gets neglected when maintaining your muscle health.
- Facing down on the ground with one leg to the side, place a foam roller under inside of your other thigh. Come up and balance on your hands and forearms.
- Roll the roller along the inside of your thigh from your pelvis to the inside of your knee.
- Once you find a tender spot, hold it on the sore spot for 30 seconds. If you need to, you can hold it for longer to release the knot and tenderness.
- Switch legs and repeat.
7. Thoracic Spine (Mobility Exercise)
- Place your foam roller vertically. Lie on the foam roller face-up and allow your buttocks and head to be supported by the roller. bring your arms to 90 degrees with your hands facing the ceiling.
- Gently rest your arms on the ground and hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Cross your arms and touch your opposite shoulders with your hands. Slowly rotate (roll) your trunk each side for 30-60 seconds.
