Get Rollin’! with The Best Foam Roller Exercises
When you’ve just finished a long, strenuous workout, it helps to stop and take an extra few minutes to warm down, stretch, and roll out your muscles with a foam roller. Foam rollers relax your muscles, reduce chances of inflammation, and improve circulation throughout your body. Start off by using a softer foam roller before progressing to a denser one in order to let your muscles build resistance.
Here are our top four picks for the best foam roller exercises that will target just about any tight areas on your body, leaving you de-stressed and satisfied. What are you waiting for? Let’s get rolling!
1. Quadriceps
Place your upper thighs over the foam roller as you position yourself, stomach parallel to the floor. Put your hands (and elbows, if needed) on the floor, and slowly bring your torso forward to your arms as you roll back and forth against the roller over your quadriceps. Continue doing so for a minute, or until you feel that it’s enough.
2. IT Band
Press one of your hips against the foam roller while keeping that leg straight. Cross the other leg over the straightened one while propping your torso up with your arms. Roll from the side of the hip to down to your knee and back up again for about one minute, or until your muscles feel relaxed. Switch sides and repeat.
3. Calves
Place the foam roller underneath your calves, with your arms propping you up so that your glutes are just above the floor. Use your arms and legs to move the foam roller over your calves in a back-and-forth motion, until your calves are relaxed.
4. Back
Lay your upper back against the foam roller, with knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor. Roll yourself forward, then back, over the upper area towards the middle of the shoulder blades. Repeat until satisfied.
Using these techniques will get your muscles feeling fantastic after any intense workout.
