DO YOU FOAM ROLL?
Ian Worthington
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Sports massages are a great way to keep the body in good working order and to avoid the DOMS. However, most of us aren’t flush enough to pay for a massage after every gym session!
Let’s say hello to Mr Foam Roller - the cheap and easy method to keep your body stretched and massaged!
The way foam rollers work is that is they release tension in the membrane layer of tissue which is covering your muscles and tendons. If done correctly this can be of real benefit such as:
- increased exercise performance and recovery.
- improved blood circulation.
- better range of motion/ flexibility.
- reduction of the DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness)
Below are a list of great foam roller exercises which can be incorporated into your warm up and/or cool down routine:
1) BACK ROLL (upper): Place yourself in a sit-up position, with your upper back resting against the foam roller. Raise your hips off the floor, clenching your abs tight, and roll back and forth over the roller, so that it moves between the top of your shoulder blades and the middle of your back.
2) GLUTE/HAMSTRING STRETCH: Whilst seated on the floor, with your legs in front of you and your back straight, place the foam roller against your hamstrings - slightly higher than the knee. Lifting your hips slightly off the floor, use your hands to roll forward and backwards across the roller.
3) LOWER BACK/ KNEE ROLL: Take up a side plank position, with the foam roller resting against the leg just under your hip.Cross the top leg over the bottom one and rest the foot flat on the floor at about knee level. Place your hands on the floor and use them to roll your leg along the roller, from just below the hip to just above the knee.Repeat the exercise on the opposite leg.
The above are just a couple of foam roller exercises, but there are literally thousands.
Foam rollers are now readily available at most gyms. They are also very cheap to purchase.
As usual, any questions fire them over.
Ian David Worthington
Creator, Owner and Coach at GymWolfPT.com