5 Best Foam Roller Exercises to Relieve Pain

Need instant relief from sore muscles and joint pain? You need to check out the benefits of foam roller exercises. Athletes and fitness professionals use it regularly after working out for long hours without any rest.

Age and lifestyle choices determine the soreness and pain that lead to inflammation in your body. Sometimes, taking painkillers or using sprays is inevitable – they give instant relief but might cause more damage in the long term. Foam roller benefits are widely expressed by physiotherapists and orthopedists. Foam roller exercises apply pressure created by the body, which equals the benefits of massage therapy. They have no side effects, increase flexibility & blood flow, and improve mood. Foam roller price is something everyone can afford and you don’t need to invest more than 10-15 minutes every day.

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Foam Roller Exercise Benefits

Foam Roller for Knee Pain

Pain in the knee often emanates from the Iliotibial (IT) band being too tight. The pain runs up the thigh. Tight quads (muscles in the front of the thighs) might also cause pain.

1. Place the foam roller underneath the front of your thighs (just above the knees) and lie down on your stomach

2. Flex your toes and place them on the floor to support your body. Hold your upper body weight on your arms fully extended. Make sure they’re placed at shoulder width and your palms are flat

3. Move your body back and forth; the roller will roll through your quads. Stop when the roller reaches the top of your thighs

4. Repeat up to 10 times.

5. Assume a plank position and to increase the intensity

Foam Roller for Lower Back Pain

When your hip flexors (the muscle that connects the hips and legs) are tight, they tug on the lower back, which causes stiffness and pain. Some suggest that using a lacrosse ball is better than a foam roller to target the lower back because it targets tense tissues much deeper into the back.

1. Place the roller or lacrosse ball (preferably) under the hip flexor. Ease your weight onto it

2. Roll in small circles until you find the tight spot

3. Stop when you find it and let the muscle sink into it

4. Bend the corresponding knee and fan the lower leg fan in and out for better results

Foam Roller for Shoulder or Neck Pain

More often than not, neck pain emanates from a lack of mobility in the thoracic spine (upper back). The muscles in the upper back stiffen and put stress on the neck or shoulders.

1. Place the foam roller perpendicular to your spine just under the shoulder blades. Your buttocks should be on the ground

2. Put your hands behind your head for support. Extend your spine backward and then come back to the original position

3. Continue for 2 minutes

4. You can also lift your buttocks off the floor so that your thighs are parallel to the floor for better results

Stretch your chest –

Stand in the middle of the doorway and extend your arms to your sides at shoulder height. Hold onto the doorway and let your body fall forward until you feel a stretch across your chest and in the front of the shoulders.

Foam Roller for Calf Muscle Pain

You can experience hindered movement while walking, standing, and running due to calf muscle pain. Soreness in the calves affects daily movements, which is why it shouldn’t be neglected.

1. Sit on your yoga mat and place the roller right underneath your calves

2. Place your hands directly below your shoulder beside your hips. Your palms should be flat on the ground

3. Next, raise your hips off the floor

4. Now, roll forward and backward to move the roller from the knees to the ankles

5. Turn your legs outward or inward to work the different areas of the calves

6. This exercise can be done with a tennis ball as well

7. Repeat 10 times

Foam Roller for Leg Pain (Shin)

This exercise is really good for football players. An injured shin causes a lot of pain and interrupts sleep as well. You might find it hard to climb stairs, practice yoga or even fold your legs. The real problem is that it can worsen with time and you need to relax the shins.

1. Place the roller foam under your shins just below the knee and place your hands in front of your shoulder on the mat

2. Roll the foam backward and forward using your core and pelvic muscles. The roller should move from the tips of your feet to just below the knees

3. Spot massage the sore area by pulse rolling

4. Use a tiger tail roller to massage the muscles at the front of your leg (optional)

5. Continue for a minute

A foam roller is an ingenious tool with which you can also relieve the pain in several other areas of the body like the hamstrings, inner thighs, outer thighs, glutes, arms, and even to get a flat stomach.