How to Use a Foam Roller
By Kath / May 14, 2017 / No Comments / Fitness, Tips
Foam rollers are an ideal addition to your fitness regime. Foam rollers are cheap and highly versatile, and they have a number of benefits. They help you work out the tension from your muscles, improve your balance, improve your range of motion, and also help relieve stress. Find out more about foam rollers and how to use them in this handy guide.
Massage Your Muscles With a Foam Roller
If you don’t have the money for a deep tissue massage, don’t despair. Use a simple foam roller instead. Use a foam roller for a deep massage by simply lying on the roller and moving the body across it. Use the weight of your body pushing into the roller to give the massage. Work slowly and evenly. Try to relax over the roller and don’t use other parts of your body to support yourself. By relaxing your muscles this way, you could also experience better sleep, as foam-rolling and sleep-aid are related. You can also look at YouTube videos to learn how to correctly position yourself on the roller.
Use a Foam Roller for Acupressure
Using a foam roller is also a great way to exert gentle pressure on specific spots of your body where you keep blockages of energy and knotted muscles. When you roll your body over the roller, the pressure melts the knots away and also helps the energy flow more effectively around the body. You can also remain in one place with all your weight pressing against the roller in order to apply pressure to a tight spot in the back.
Use a Foam Roller for More Effective Core Work
When you have to try and remain stable on an unstable object your body works harder and your muscles are engaged more effectively. You can use this to your advantage when you are working on your core. Try doing a plank or a push-up by putting your hands on the roller. You can also work with a foam roller when you are doing your sit-ups.
Increase Your Stretch with a Foam Roller
Use a foam roller as an extra support when stretching so you can go deeper, enhancing the stretch and increasing the effectiveness. For example, here are some great Hip Flexor exercises for anyone. You can use the roller to extend the range of your motion when completing a hamstring stretch, or hold onto it to deepen the stretch in your arms.
Get Better Balance with a Foam Roller
Foam rollers can be used in a variety of exercises where you take advantage of the shape and its range of movement to stretch further and for longer. There are a variety of postures that work more effectively with the addition of a foam roller to the routine.
Image: Image courtesy of stockimages/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net