"What is that?" That's what most of my clients say when I walk in the door, carrying a big white tube-shaped styrofoam thingy. My answer? "A whole new way to torture you!" Seriously, the foam roller is just one more tool in your arsenal to make exercise more interesting, more challenging and, just maybe, more fun.
The problem with the foam roller is this: what do you do with it? That's a great question and one I've attempted to answer in my new Total Body Strength & Stretch on the Roller. In this workout, I show you some basic exercises in which the foam roller can be a support and other moves where it can add intensity and challenge. The moves focus on the abs, back and the lower body and also include some stretches. The workout uses a FitBALL Roller (which is an inflatable version of a typical foam roller), but it can be done with any type of roller.
This workout would fit with most fitness levels and can be a great add-on to your usual strength training workouts. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
The Foam Roller is meant to help improve tissue quality. It isn’t designed as a tool for strength training and conditioning. Can you use it for that purpose? Sure. But, you could potentially use anything for that purpose. Check out my new DVD, “Total Body Conditioning with a Log!” And the companion DVD, “29 Muscle Building Moves with a Common Tabby Cat!”
These are great actually. Thanks so much. I like the fluidity the roller brings to some of the moves. It lessens strain on the neck and wrists for some positions. Even the well known “childs pose” stretch is made better with a roller, easing the cervical spine, and deepening the stretch in the lats with hands out on the roller. I also like it for massaging the muscles and releasing fascia in my legs. I have a foam roller and find it very useful and diverse.
.. and to the fella that thinks being sarcastic is so clever – yeah – let’s see those moves buddy.
Thank you! I bought a half-roller for a very specific exercise that I had to do for my physical therapy after total hip replacement, but I wanted to use it in other ways and didn’t know how.
And for what it’s worth, my cat helps me exercise all the time. I didn’t need instructions for that.