Self myofascial release through foam roller exercises will enhance your body-mind connection! When you foam roll your muscles, you perform self myofascial release. Concentrate on the hot spots and muscle knots, or the areas that are sore. As you foam roll focus on the areas that sore, hold the pressure on problem area for 20-30 seconds till the muscle releases. You may need to do this multiple times until you experience complete relief.
Instructions:
• For these foam roller exercises you can use any size round foam roller.
• For the first foam roller exercise for the triceps, you can stand or sit by a table. Place the foam roller on the table, and place your upper arm perpendicular to it at a comfortable spot on the triceps muscles.
• Bend your elbow and keep your forearm up.
• Roll back and forth along the entire length of your triceps muscle, stopping at sore spots as needed.
• Now rotate your forearm so your palm is down, perpendicular to the ground, still keeping your elbow bent.
• Roll back and forth on the triceps at this new angle, focusing on the anterior portion of the triceps.
• Now roll your forearm all the way back until your palm faces upward.
• Roll back and forth at the new angle to focus on the posterior aspect of the triceps.
• As you roll front and back, stop and stretch any sore areas for 10-20 seconds, roll off the sore spot to allow the blood to flow back in, then go back to the sore spot and apply pressure for another 10-20 seconds. B-r-e-a-t-h-e!
• For the second foam roller exercise for the biceps, use the same standing or sitting position as in number one.
• Straighten out your arm and place the foam roller perpendicular to your arm at the biceps.
• Rotate your arm downward as far as you comfortably can, with your thumb pointing to the table and your palm backward.
• Roll up and down the biceps
• For the third foam roller exercise, also for the biceps, place the foam roller at an angle so that your arm is back further behind you at a 45 degree angle.
• Place the roller under your biceps. Make sure that your arm is rotated so that you palm faces the sky.
• Roll the biceps up and down, stopping as needed.
• You can do the same exercises from above, on the floor. It may be a little more awkward, but you may be able to increase the pressure, if needed by using the added weight of your body.
• For the fourth foam roller exercise for your triceps, lay on your side on the floor, keeping your knees bent.
• Raise your upper body and place your triceps on the foam roller with your arm bent.
• Using your forward arm for balance, push off with the same arm, to roll up and down the triceps.
• You may rotate your forearm forward and back, like in the foam roller exercises done on the table.
• For the fifth foam roller exercise for the biceps, start in the same position as the fourth exercise.
• Place the foam roller under your arm at the top of the biceps with your arm out straight.
• Rotate the entire arm so that the thumb points to the ground.
• Roll up and down on the biceps, using your forward arm to push off and balance.
