The Best Foam Roller Exercises for Your Back

Mostly all the experts in the fitness and healthcare fields suggest a Foam Roller for a perfect home workout and for injury prevention and recovery. However, with constant use, many people have found out the importance of foam roller in relieving back pain. People can buy a foam roller for back exercises if they wish to strengthen their back or relieve the pain. These 6 foam roller exercises are ideal for an everyday back workout. Check them out:

1. The Pipe Starfish

This is the first basic exercise that involves the individual sitting on one end of the foam roller and lying down along the length of the roller. The individual has to make sure that the head is supported on the roller as well. Rest the arms on the floor and breathe slowly and deeply. This exercise helps in relaxing the chest muscles and most importantly the upper back portion of the body.

The goal of this exercise is to eventually strengthen the upper back by having the hands and elbows touching the floor on either side of the user’s torso.

2. Relax your Lats

This one offers a very beneficial workout for the back. Rolling out the lats with a foam roller helps in everything, starting from the neck to the spine for back pain. In addition to that this exercise also helps reduce stress in the shoulders and upper arms.

Lie on the side with the foam roller under the ribs at a position between the lowest part of the armpit to the bottom of the ribs. Start by rolling up and down from the rib towards the armpit. Next, roll forward or backward slightly from the spine to the front of the ribs in order to find the most tender spot. After finding the tender spot, stay there for about 30 to 60 seconds before switching sides. The result of this exercise is that it will relieve a person’s entire back and shoulders.

3. The Glute Figure 4 for Lower Back Relief

This exercise requires sitting in an upright alignment on the foam roller with legs extended in the front. With the hands on the floor behind for support, cross the right ankle over the left knee. Then bend the left knee until the left foot is flat on the floor providing enough comfort. After that sit up tall and press the chest towards the shin. The individual should start to feel a deep stretch in their left hip.

4. The Mighty Thoracic Roll

This foam rolling exercise will give a break to an individual’s upper back which might have strained due to heavy workout with ">home weight training equipment. All they need is to lie down with their upper back on the foam roller and with their knees bent with feet flat on the floor. They then have to roll slightly to one side of the spine onto the muscle and off the bones. Next, they have to place the hands behind the head and point their elbows to the ceiling to cover more surface area along the spine. Next, roll back and forth between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribs.

5. Relieve the Lower Back with the Sacrum Roll

This exercise is also very beneficial for the back. For this, an individual has to start in the bridge position on the floor by keeping the back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Then they have to lift the hips and slide the foam roller under their lower back just above the tailbone.

Next is to lift the knees consecutively keeping them bent and bring both legs together with their feet in the air. At last, holding the ends of the foam roller they gently need to rock side to side. This exercise is more associated with comfort rather than a physical workout.