HOW TO USE A FOAM ROLLER: TIPS AND BENEFITS

Feeling sore after a tough workout? Foam rolling can help! Read on for foam roller stretches and exercises that can help reduce muscle pain and relieve soreness while increasing your flexibility and relaxing your entire body.(1) 

The Benefits of Using a Foam Roller

Foam rolling is a method of myofascial release targeting the fascia, a layer of tissue that connects your muscle groups. Using a roller can:

• Release tight muscle groups and sensitive trigger points in your fascia.
• Relieve pain and reduce soreness.
• Significantly increase your flexibility and range of motion when paired with stretching.
• Provide even greater relief when used in conjunction with a massage gun.

When & Where to Use a Foam Roller

A foam roller can be used anytime you want to stretch and relax, including:

• Before exercise to loosen muscles and increase circulation and range of motion.(2)
• After exercise to reduce soreness and improve your recovery time.
• On a yoga mat for extra support and comfort.

How to Use a Foam Roller

To get the most from your foam roller stretches:

1. Pinpoint the area where you’re feeling soreness or tightness.
2. Lower yourself slowly onto the roller.
3. Roll slowly back and forth over target areas for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Pause and breathe deeply when you hit knots or tender spots.

The Best Foam Roller Exercises for Your Entire Body

Foam roller stretches should always be slow and gentle. For optimum results, adjust the position of your body and the roller as needed.

Upper Body

These foam roller exercises target some key upper-body areas. Be extra careful when you use a foam roller on your back—unless a physical therapist has recommended it, rolling directly on the lower spine is not advised.

Lat Roll: 

The latissimus dorsi are the “wings” just below your armpits.

1. Lying on your right side with your right arm extended above your head in line with your body, place the roller underneath your armpit, perpendicular to your body.
2. Place your left arm on the floor in front or behind you for support.
3. Roll up and down from your armpit to your mid-torso.
4. Shift or lean your torso frontward and backward to better target the area.
5. Repeat on the left side.

Triceps Roll:

These muscles at the back of the upper arm benefit from foam rolling after an upper-body workout.

1. Lying on your right side with your right arm extended above your head in line with your body, place the roller underneath your armpit, perpendicular to your body.
2. Roll up and down between the elbow and armpit to cover the length of the triceps.
3. Shift the angle of your body and/or the roller as needed to find the best position.
4. Repeat on the left side.

Upper Back Roll: 

This exercise is especially helpful for those who carry tension in their upper back. Be sure you know how to use a foam roller on your back safely, avoiding the neck and lower spine.

1. Lying on your back, place the roller under your shoulder blades, perpendicular to your body.
2. Bend your legs and place your hands behind your head to support it—or cross your arms over your chest.
3. Pressing your feet into the floor, raise your hips slightly.
4. Move your body upward and downward so the roller massages your shoulder blades from bottom to top. Don’t roll higher than your shoulder blades or lower than your waist.

Legs

Here’s how to use a foam roller for some specific muscle groups in your legs.

Calf Roll: 

Along with stretching, foam rolling is a great way to ease tight calves.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
2. Place the roller under your right calf.
3. Cross your left leg over your right, for added weight and pressure.
4. With your hands behind you for balance, lift your hips just off the floor and use your arms to shift your weight back and forth to massage the calf.
5. Repeat on the left leg.

IT Band (Outer Thigh) Roll:

Because a tight IT band can cause knee and hip pain, it’s a popular target for rolling.

1. Lying on your right side, position the roller under your right thigh.
2. Resting your weight on your right forearm, lift your hip off the ground.
3. Hold your left leg parallel to your right—or for more stability, bend your left leg at the knee and place it in front of your right leg.
4. Pressing your hands into the floor in front of you, shift your body to roll along the length of your outer thigh.
5. Repeat on the left side.

Hamstring Roll: 

Tight hamstrings are a common malady. Foam roller stretches can make a big difference.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Place the roller under your thighs.
3. Bend your left knee so that your left foot is flat on the floor.
4. With your hands on the floor behind you, shift your body forward and backward to move the roller from below your glute to just above the knee.
5. Repeat on the other leg.

Quadricep Roll: 

Foam rolling gives these long, powerful muscles some targeted relief.

1. Lying face down, prop yourself up on your forearms.
2. Place the roller under the front of your thighs, with toes pointing toward the floor.
3. Using your forearms and toes to shift back and forth, slowly roll up and down.
4. Cover the full length of the quads, from the bottom of your hips to the top of your knees.

Adductor (Inner Thigh) Roll:

Use this stretch to prevent and treat groin pulls.

1. Lying face down, prop yourself up on your forearms.
2. Keeping your left leg straight, bend your right leg 90 degrees and place the roller underneath it.
3. Shift your weight back and forth to massage the length of the muscle.
4. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Glute Roll: 

Glutes are the body’s largest and heaviest muscles, and it’s normal to feel tightness there after a workout. Foam rolling this area can also ease lower-back tightness or pain.

1. Sitting in an upright position, place the roller under your glutes.
2. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
3. Move your body forward and backward while also shifting your weight from left to right to target both sides.

Targeted rolling is an efficient, effective method for myofascial release. As you learn how to use a foam roller, you can experiment with rollers of different sizes and densities to best target various muscle groups. Let the rolling begin!

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May 11, 2023