Foam Rolling for Beginners

Foam rolling—you’ve probably heard of it before. It’s a workout go-to for pro athletes and gym enthusiasts alike. But what is it, how does it help, and most importantly—how do you get started? Let’s walk through it together.

Foam Rolling for Muscle Relief

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique that helps smooth out the connective tissue that attaches and stabilizes your muscles—also known as fascia. Practitioners use a foam roller to physically smooth over and release knots that have formed due to inactivity, overuse, repetitive motions or injury. Although benefits may change from person to person, depending on your needs, foam rolling has been known to:

• Ease Muscle Tightness
• Increase Muscle Flexibility
• Relieve Pain and Soreness
• Decrease Joint Inflammation
• Increase Range of Motion

2 Easy Foam Rolling Moves

There are plenty of ways to get started—but first you have to know what you’d like to target! Here are two easy techniques that address some of the most common areas of tightness in the body.

The Upper Back

Perfect for when you’re holding tension or when poor posture has you feeling strained.

Start lying down on your back, with the foam roller positioned underneath your upper back. Keep your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides. Lift yourself up into a slight bridge position, utilizing your core. Slowly begin rolling up and down between your lower neck and mid-back, paying special attention to tense areas along the way. Do this for 30 seconds.

Quads

This move will help you get your blood flowing and get those muscles engaged—a great move for folks who work sedentary jobs.

Begin in the plank position, with your forearms flat on the ground from wrist to elbow. Position the roller under your quadriceps. Use your core and upper body strength to begin rolling back and forth from quads to knees. Next, roll in the opposite direction to include your hip flexors. Pause when you hit a tender spot. Do this for 30 seconds.