Tutorial #1893

Foam Roller Versatility

15 min - Tutorial
174 likes

Description

The Foam Roller is such a versatile tool, and Tash Barnard shows you just how great it can be. In this tutorial, she teaches you how to mobilize the spine, create soft tissue release, activate the deep core muscles, and stretch the body, all in just fifteen minutes. This is a wonderful way to expand your range of movement by eliminating tightness and restrictions in the body.
What You'll Need: Foam Roller

About This Video

(Pace N/A)
Nov 14, 2014
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Transcript

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Welcome to this tutorial of the foam roller. And what I thought of is, um, I have Sam here today with me, is to just show how versatile the foam roller can be to mobilize the spine, use it for a bit of soft tissue release. In order for us to get into those plotty stations, we, our bodies have been verbalized and stretched a little bit more in order to gain more strength. So I'm going to ask them to lie on the roller and we're going to do a taste to see Sam. If you can pop your pelvis at the aim and then roll down. So remember the roller is an unstable surface.

So if you're using this for the first time, your inner core muscles, your deep core muscles will automatically activate in order to stay on the roller. And that's the other great benefit that the foam roller has, the deeps strengthening and stabilizing work. Okay, so Sam, can you interlace your hands behind your head for me and then just take an inhale and then on the Xcel come forward into a chase lift and flection. And I want you to feel more released, how high you are off the rollers. So we're going to gauge how high Sam's off the roller. Then go down Sam girl, and then we're going to do the mobilization and the stretching and the articulation and the messaging that the foam roller has so greatly to offer. And then we're going to taste you again. Okay? So let's do one more just for a recap. All right, so Samson Thoracic flection, the pelvis is in a neutral position.

And Sam, you going to give us the feedback because you're going to feel the difference in your body. Alright, so lie down again. I'm going to ask you to just roll down to your left side to lie on the Mat. I'm going to take the roller. Good lie on your back. And this time you're going to lift your head and show this. I'm going to bring the roller underneath your shoulder blades. Yeah.

So from here, bring your hands to support your head. You always want to make sure that your hands are supporting your head. Remember they hate us, the heaviest part of the body. And then I think come down a tiny little bit this way and then just gently lie back, release back. But still let your hands support your head so you don't, you're not hanging off your neck. And then even just in this position is always such a good feeling for people because the body's moving and an extension and naturally during our everyday activities, our body start moving into extension. So this is a feel good moment, right? And you can just stay here for three Brits, inhale for me.

And then on the exhale, let your hands just gently support your head as you relax a little bit deeper into the straight. If this is feeling uncomfortable in your lower back, you probably need to move down a little bit so that the strain goes more on the strain is most supported in the back. So you rather feel the opening up in the low back then any stress in the body at this stage, right Sam? So let's get some movement going. I'm going to ask you to open your feet a little bit. Why them? Good. You're going to start with the inhale. And then on the Exhale, just draw your chin to your chase and then call your upper body forward. So we created some movement in those facet joints of the spine, some action, and then just into the extension.

So this is not about the strength aspect of the abdominals, but rather about the mobility and the articulation in that the rassic spine in that upper back. Good and inhale. And she should feel every time she goes down that she can go a little bit further, that it's getting a little bit easier because of the mobility that we creating. Name good. And we're going to do one more, Sam. Inhale and then excel two call forward, call, call and move the spine. Then Sam, just read your body back almost to a halfway position. They come up a little bit for me so that your head is in line with your spine. You can bring your elbows towards each other.

This time we're gonna work on getting that soft tissue release right in between the scapular in between the shoulder blades, uh, rolling out the spine. So you're going to lift your hips up, use your hamstrings to lift your hips, and then just in your own time, you're going to roll down and press back. Just making sure that we don't roll onto the lower back because it's tender with the kidneys. Uh, and you'll feel that it's quite uncomfortable in those areas. And in roll forward, the pelvis stays nice and high. So the whitest pressing down into the thoracic area, we're going to do about two more.

And the hamstrings are getting over workout at the same time. And I feel if I really close the elbows, I get that stretch over their whole shoulder girdle. And then Sam, if you feel one side is tighter than the other side, just transfer the weights a little bit onto the one side. And if you find a tender spot, you probably want to hang out in that area for a little bit. So you need to be the judge of that because only you can feel what's going on in your body. And then we can also do the other side, rolling up and down, getting all the muscles to release over that upper back. Good.

Do about two more. Good. And one more. Come back to the center. Lower the hips down, anchoring into the floor and they lean your body back over again and enjoy that last stretch. This time the elbows can open up. And again, just to recap, not feeling the work in the lumbar spine in the lower back. If you do, you're going to move yourself a little bit lower down so that this is a more of a opening feel good sensation in the upper back rather than feeling discomfort and pinching of pain in the lower back. It's like a debrief on the XL.

Draw your Chante or chase and you're going to call up. You can take my hand and you can sit up for a second. So our spines can flex and it can extend and it also rotates and laterally flakes. So what we've done is we've done the extension and affliction. We're going to do the rotation now. Okay, so this one, I need Sam to lie on her side. I'm going to move this back a little bit so you can lie on your left side, Sam, you can draw your knees into boards, your chase and the room is going to go just underneath your armpit with your fingertips into light behind your head.

So draw the knees up and that's it. And then you can just draw your elbows forward and relax. Close your body up right down me. Again, this is the area where you need to make sure that you line on the right specific spot. So Sam, lift your elbow up in. We're going to go into that rotation as you exhale and do you feel it?

Yes. Good in hell leftover. And then exhale to round your body forward, up and over. So she's really working through her full range of the rotation. The bottom elbow is staying on the floor. Sam, you could probably, there we go. You'll get more rotation so I can in health pose, enjoy the straight Chia. Then on the axl you're going to work into those obliques to bring the body forward. Good.

And my hands are just guiding her in the direction that I want to body to moving in hell late. Still one most Sam and in X. Hell not depending on how safe and secure you feel here. You could probably, if you don't have any neck problems, let your arms extend out and they hate relax just to get a deepest straight through the front of the body this time. Then internalize the hands against them. We only gonna roll half pipe back this time, and Sam's not gonna love me too much. Now you're going to bring your knees up towards the ceiling.

Press your feet into the floor, Sam, lift your hips, and the same as what we did on the thoracic area. You can bring the left elbow forward. We're going to roll out those little shoulder stabilizers, which is your not so pleasant for me. Good. And again, remember if you find that attain the point, that is your trigger points. You want to hang out in that area, probably for three inhales and exhales just to get that muscle to release and stretch out and get rid of all the tension. Good. Sam, you're going to lower the hips down and you're going to bring your body forward and we're going to have to do the other side because they are two sides to the body. You can face me. Yes. Right? So come a little bit forward so you have space there.

When you rolled back, pull the knees in. Good. Interlace the hands, draw the elbows forward. Keep this one on the flow and just go into that rotation. Allow these tight upper back extents to stretch in rotation. We're going to lift the top, elbow up, open and release.

Inhale and Xcel rotate. Reach good and she's still active in her body. Lift the elbow and come forward. Nice. We'll do two more and we inhale and exhale, relax and release. The hands are supporting the hits though and lift up and forward and one more and exhale. And again, if your body feels happy in this position, you can extend your arms and reach out.

Obviously we trying to make sure there is no neck pain, there's no shoulder pain. Our shop's shooting prays down the arms. If that's happening, you need to bend your elbows. Make lever shorter and bring it back in. How that's at Sam. You're only gonna roll halfway this time. Press the feet into the floor. Lift the hips, and you're on a diagonal line this time.

So we're going to bring the feet this way. So use your feet. That's it. Left up, and you can bring the body. There we go. Rolling up and down. Finding those tight, tight, tight muscles around the scapula. Good. And we're going to do two more. Inhale in XL. Done under estimate how much your breath can help your body to release one more and relax. Good. Sam, give me your hands. Sit Up for me.

We're going to go back into that position where you lying on the roller. So in that supine position, Sam, and because of all the flection and the extension with that soft tissue massage release on the foam roller, which makes it so unique, you can get into those intricate little spots. We're going to taste you again. All right. They'd circle the arms and Highbridge shot. Take a deep breath. Inhale. And then on the Exhale, the chin draws towards the chase and you curl up. Good, good, good. How does that feel, Sam? Do you feel higher? Yes.

Because of all the mobility that we've created going down in that upper back, we were gonna do three more. Inhale, and then exhale, drool up, lift up. Good. Hold it and lower down. And I want you to be away. Feel, Huh? The space in this lower back softens into the roller as your points of gravity changes when you come into this chase lift position and there's absolutely no strain or stress on the neck area and then come down. So this is from the neutral spine, flexing up.

The lower back softens into the roller. And Sam, take your hands down by your side. Hold it here. I want to move on to when we lift the one leg up off the floor, this stability needs to be greatest. So this foam roller works so much on the proprioception of our work. Bring the left leg up on the XL. The abdominals have to work harder to keep it yet.

And at the same time we see Yay Sam, look at that. That's the position that I wanted you to be in. Okay. Now Sam needs to maintain this position of her upper body as she extends one leg away without letting this go and being good. If he was a change in the upper body, then Sam would probably not have been ready for this specific exercise. What we will do then, Sam, is just keep the knee bent and tap it to the floor and this is just a variation of how we can work on the stability, working on the stabilizers around the core area and lift the knees haul, lower the head down plus the right for them and place the left hood down and then just open your arms out in a t.

Ketos picks the stretch out good, and then you can just rock from side to side. Sam, get into those rum boys at the same time the Rhomboids are doing a soft tissue release and fixed. We'll be stretching the whole shoulder girdle good, and then come back to the same to bring your arms down by your side. You can just stay here for a second. So I really enjoy working with the foam roller with um, clients because they really feel how the pelvis needs maintained in a neutral positions while the upper body or the lower part of the body is moving. And then what I always tell people is maintain that sensation, that feeling you have in your body when you work on the foam roller, when you're doing a regular mat clause. Because we can sell easily, be distracted by working on foam rollers, who are other additional small apple writers.

We just working with you and your body on the mat should be as intense as what a roller. For instance, chase lift exercise should be. Okay. So you can take my hand and I'm gonna pull you up and you can step down from me. And I think that is it. So thank you so much. I hope you've learned something. I hope there's something new that I've introduced to you. Um, hope to see you soon.

Comments

2 people like this.
Good upper shoulder opener
2 people like this.
Excellent! I love love love the foam roller! Excellent shoulder work, opening and massaging the soft tissue of the shoulder girdle. I baby this area in my body. Thank you!
2 people like this.
Great tutorial! Since almost every client today has upper back and shoulder issues (me included), this video is such a great first aid. :) Thanks, Tash!
2 people like this.
Dusted off the foam roller and have developed a love affair. Thank you!
Louise T
3 people like this.
just love the foam roller great video....more please.
2 people like this.
Wow! love the scapula release
2 people like this.
Please could you let me know the dimensions of the roller so that I can purchase the correct one? Lots of Physio Rollers available on line & different sizes so would appreciate your advise.... Thank you
Tash Barnard
1 person likes this.
Hi Ange - thank you for the message, the F.R i use in my studio is about 1m - you want to make sure that it's long enough for your spine (including head) to rest on!
Good luck and enjoy the rolling!!!
Christine Herring
The f.r. is so much more than an i.t. band massaging device. Thanks for the combo strength/ massage for the upper thorax. Grazie from Florence, It.
Christine Herring
The f.r. is so much more than an i.t. band massaging device. Thanks for the combo strength/ massage for the upper thorax. However, I usually have the clients hold a supported spine, or flat back when using the head or the lower limbs as levers. Neutral seems to put too much stress on the lower back with the narrow contact the roller provides. Any comment? Grazie from Florence, It.
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