Foam Roller Tension Release for Bums and Thighs.
Welcome to a New Kind of Tension.
pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: the jealous punks from across the pond don’t want to be seen as fools.
Andrew has been a fan of his foam roller for some time, after the exercises we try to do to keep/get ourselves ski-fit, he suffers tension in his lower back and finds 10 minutes rolling around on the lounge floor eases it a bit.
Alyx Walkinshaw takes it much further. In her article for Outside Online she demonstrates how to get the equivalent of a post-workout massage with your foam roller.
With the right moves, your foam roller can help relieve tight muscles and work the connective tissue between muscles, organs, and bones. Here are another two of her moves…
Relief for Muscles and Tendons in your Glutes and Outer Thighs.
Sit on your foam roller with your feet flat on the floor about 50cm from the roller, knees bent. Place your right hand on the floor about 20cm behind your roller. Lean both of your knees 45o to the right, thus lifting your left hip. Move your knees in a clockwise motion, this, in turn, rolls your hip around on your roller. Repeat 5 to ten times, then repeat moving anti-clockwise and then lean to the left. Next, still with your knees at 45o, use your feet to roll the side of your bum from the top to the bottom. Do both sides 5 to ten times.
Next, lay on your right side, perpendicular to your roller, with your right bum cheek balanced on the roller, right elbow on the floor. Cross your left leg over your right. Place your left foot flat on the floor in front of your right knee. With your right foot off the ground use your right arm and left leg to roll from bum, down your outer thigh, to just above your knee and back 5 to ten times. Repeat for the other side.
Tension Release for Hips and Quads.
Laying on your front, balanced on your toes, knees and elbows; hands in front of your face, place your roller under your hips (not stomach). Straighten each arm in turn, twisting your body from side to side, keeping feet on the ground. Roll your hips 5 to ten times for each side.
Next, move the foam roller down to just above your knees, taking the weight off your feet and engaging your core. Using your lower arms to roll up to your hips and back, 5 to ten times. Make it more intense by bending your knees, adding weight to your lower body.
Keep a look out for more foam roller tension busters over the coming months.
pop trivia: The lyric is from ‘American Idiot’ the title track from an album of the same name by ‘Green Day’. The single was released in 2005 and nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2005. In July 2018, the track re-entered the UK singles charts. This followed a campaign in advance of Donald Trump’s visit to the UK.
