Foam rolling is such a great way to release tight muscles and has so many other benefits as well. A foam roller is a wonderful holistic tool helpful when it comes to flexibility, easing pain and muscle soreness, better body mobility, preventing common injuries and releasing stored negative energy from stress and physiological trauma. Foam rolling helps to relax our nervous system + improve blood circulation. This increased blood flow can also help reduce cellulite! Foam rolling also assist lean out tight muscles for a longer, leaner body! It’s a wonderful tool for both fitness and your overall health and wellbeing.

We suggest rolling everyday to gain the most benefits!

To help you do so, we have 8 foam roller stretches covering your full body for you to practise:

 

8 Foam Roller Stretches:

Quads

How: Lie face-down on the floor, support your weight by your hands and place a foam roller underneath one leg keeping that foot off the ground. Shift as much weight onto the leg and roll from above the knee to below the hip. Do this on the other leg as well.

Benefits: Can help with tightness, creates a leaner appearance to your legs, improve cellulite and circulation. 

Calves

How: Sit on the floor with your legs straight and place a foam roller underneath one lower leg keeping the other leg on the floor to support your weight. Place hands behind you and lift your body off the ground while slowly rolling forward and back along your calf. Roll from below the knee to above the ankle. Do this on the other leg as well.

Benefits: Releases tight calves and improves ankle mobility. Can help to lean out the appearance of your calves. 

Glutes

How: Sit on top of a foam roller. Bend your knees and cross one leg in a way that your ankle is over the knee. Shift your weight to the side of the crossed leg and keep rolling over your glutes (bottom). Do this on the other side as well.

Benefits: Releases pain in your hips and lower back. Can reduce cellulite. Release stored stress and emotions in the fascia. 

IT-Band

How: Lie on your side and place your bottom leg onto a foam roller between the hip and the knee. Keep your top leg crossed in front of you. Move your leg over the foam roller from hip to knee carefully. Repeat on the other leg.

Benefits: Helps to release tension on the knee which often causes knee pain. Assists with leaning the appearance of your legs and improving circulation.

Groin

How: Lie face down and place one leg on a foam roller in a way that it’s against the inner thigh. Then roll over between your hip and knee. Repeat on the other leg as well.

Benefits: Reduces tightness and muscle soreness in the inner thigh. Acts as a lymphatic massage, cleansing the body of toxins. Helps release stored stress and emotions.

Hamstrings

How: Sit on the foam roller and place your legs over it to target the back of your upper legs. Keep your hands behind you to support your weight. Lift hips off of the floor and shift your weight on to one leg. Try to relax the hamstrings of the leg you are rolling. Roll from below the hip to above the back of the knee. Repeat on the other leg.

Benefits: Helps to better the base for your spine. Assists release lower back pain. 

Thoracic Spine

How: Place a foam roller vertically under you. Keep your face-up and let your buttocks and head to be supported by the roller. Start by rising your arms to 90 degrees and face your hands on the ceiling. Then rest your arms on the ground and hold. Followed by crossing your arms to touch your opposite shoulders. Repeat! 

Benefits: helps to stretch out the back muscles, relieve muscular tension and better thoracic mobility.

Upper Back

How: Place your upper back on a foam roller lying length ways on the floor. Cross your arms in front of you, raise your hips off the ground and keep your weight on the roller. Shift your weight up and down, rolling from upper to mid back.

Benefits: Reduces tightness and relieves pain in the upper back. Also improves posture and increases rotational flexibility. Can reduce headaches. 

 

These foam roller stretches can assist you in maintaining a balanced body and gaining better overall health! Complemented with a balanced holistic movement program (resistance, yoga & cardio) you will really start to be able to use your body to the best of its abilities. 

The BareVitality Studio Online Program can help you achieve this!

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Image @Sheerlux