When somebody mentions work out equipment You usually imagine some huge, hulking machine or a crude, cold heavy dumbbell. But that isn’t necessarily the case. There are items like exercise, elastic bands or the foam rollers, which are small, soft and practical. A lot of people suffer from tightness, stress in particular parts of the body and overall body inflexibility. These are the 9 best foam roller exercises which will help You relieve some of those maladies.
9 Best Foam Roller Exercises
1. Calf Roll
How to do:
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of You.
- Place your hands on the floor as well, wider than your shoulders.
- Place the foam roller underneath your calves.
- Lift yourself using your hands. Slowly move back and forward.
- Limit your range of motion from your knees to your ankles.
Benefits:
- This exercise is good if You have Tight calves, like if your job forces You to sit at a desk the whole day long.
- Thigh Calves can lead to lack of mobility, which could end up in a sprained ankle.
- The exercise is also good for your upper back and abs.
[ Read: Simple Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat ]
2. Upper Back Roll
How to do:
- Sit on the floor with your foam roller underneath your upper back.
- Lift your hands forward to keep yourself balanced better.
- COntract your abs and d start to move slowly down, bending your knees.
- Your movement area should be from the lower back to your Shoulder blades.
Benefits:
- More and more people have built up upper back stress.
- Just a few minutes of this exercise can relieve the pain immediately.
- as well as straighten your upper back so that the pain doesn’t come as often.
[ Read: Exercises For Lower Back Pain Relief ]
3. Outer Thigh Roll
How to do:
- Place the foam roller under your hip.
- Another leg to the side and hold yourself up with your hands.
- Contract your abs and gluts.
- Slowly roll down from your hip to your knee.
- Lift yourself back up and switch to the other hip.
Benefits:
- Like the Calf roll, great for mobility and tightness.
- Thighs form a large connective tissue with your knees, so is very important to keep them in tip-top shape.
- Injuries to that areas lead to some of the most painful as well as hardest to recover.
[ Read: Exercises to Tone Inner Thighs ]
4. Hamstrings Roll
How to do:
- Sit in a position similar to the calf roll, but place the foam roller under your tights.
- Cross one leg over the other at the ankle and balance yourself with your hands.
- Roll from your knee to your butt cheek slowly. Repeat with your other leg.
Benefits:
- Tight hamstrings are the other big victim of modern, sit at the desk whole day kind of jobs.
- They get Tight and lose their flexibility and mobility.
- That all leads to even more pressure to your already stressed back.
- The Hamstring roll is also a great way to stretch your hamstrings after a grueling workout at the gym.
[ Read: Exercises to Get Rid of Flabby Arms ]
5. Lats Roll
How to do:
- Lay on your back on one of your sides and place a foam roller under your armpit.
- Stretch the arm under which You have placed the roller as much as possible.
- Lift your body from the floor using your lats only. Repeat using the other side of your body.
Benefits:
- It is hard to have a strong and balanced body without lats that are relaxed, flexible and function properly.
- They connect and stabilize your spine with the upper and lower back as well as shoulders and arms.
- If you do this exercise, your upper body will work coordinate better.
[ Read: Ab Workouts for Women ]
6. Lower Back Roll
How to do:
- An exercise almost identical to the upper body roll.
- Place the foam roller under your lower back.
- With the help of your legs and abs move slightly upwards, till the roller reaches your Shoulder blades.
Benefits:
- Lower back pains are some of the most common ailments we have today.
- Those who come home after work without soreness or stress in their lower back are a rare breed indeed.
- Do this exercise to strengthen your back and lower the pain.
[ Read: Core Strengthening Exercises ]
7. Knee Extension Roll
How to do:
- Place the Roam roller just above your calf.
- Hold yourself up with your hands and Shoulder muscles.
- Gently and very slowly move forward so your knees bend over the foam roller.
- Stop moving forward once the foam roller touches your quads.
Benefits:
- Even if they aren’t a muscle your knees, and mainly their ligaments and tendons accumulate a lot of stress.
- Do this exercise if You spend the main part of your day standing or sitting in a single position without much knees maneuver.
- Doing this exercise will stop cramps under your knees and relaxed your stressed tendons.
[ Read: Exercises to Strengthen Ankles ]
8. Foam Roller Leg Extensions
How to do:
- Start with your body in a position similar to that of doing a push-up.
- Place your hands on the foam roller.
- Contract your abs so You stay balanced.
- Look forward and straighten your back.
- Lift one leg backward until you feel the full contraction in your glutes and lower back.
- Slowly lower your leg and do the same with the other leg.
Benefits:
- A great exercise for most of your body, the foam roller leg extension is ideal for those who suffer from severe back pain.
- It will make much of your lower body stronger, including your abs, quads, glutes and lower back.
9. Shoulder Roll
How to do:
- Lie on one side of your body with the foam roller placed under your Shoulder.
- Put one hand behind your back to ache the upper back and use the other hand to help You with stability.
- Stretch one leg in front.
- Use your glutes and abs to stabilize yourself.
- Press onto the roller and slowly move from your Shoulder to your rib cage.
- Repeat with your other side.
Benefits:
- Sitting in front of the computer all day can lead to a lot of upper back and shoulder pressure.
- Use this exercise to relieve that pressure in your shoulder area.
- as well as a great way to simply de-stress after a long, hard day at work.
In summary. Foam rollers are a simple and practical tool which can help You prevent and deal with many modern body ailments. You can take them anywhere with You and work out basically all muscle groups. Doctors suggest that between 50 and 20 minutes of foam rolling a few times a week can give your body a drastic improvement in strength, mobility, and flexibility. If You are a person already heavily into a fitness lifestyle, be sure to purchase this must-have workout item since its the perfect for stretching pre or post workout. If almost every professional athlete uses them, how could they be bad for you?
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