Foam Rolling Movements | Sport Manitoba

By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator

In our Intro to Foam Rolling blog, we talked about how foam rolling is great to do before a workout to prepare your body for movement. It’s also an effective tool in preventing injury.

In this blog, we’ll share some specific rolling moves you can try to target different parts of the body. Perform each of the movements below for 30 seconds. If you find trigger points or tighter areas, roll for longer to find some release.

Note: If you haven’t read the first blog, we recommend giving it a read before trying these moves!

Calves & Hamstrings

Grab a seat on the floor with your arms supporting you from behind or on the sides.
Extend one leg and place your calf on the foam roller closer to one edge.
Plant your free leg on the ground and push through it to lift your hips off the floor and apply some bodyweight on the roller.
Using your arms and grounded foot, begin to roll your calf along the roller moving with the muscle fibers to start. Be sure to roll the entire length of the calf from your achilles tendon (above the ankle) to just below the back of your knee.
Rotate at your hip that is on the roller and move your foot inwards and outwards to get different angles on your calf muscle.
Work to find trigger points or tight spots and try some cross friction movements as a progression when you are ready.
Repeat these steps for your hamstrings, one leg at a time, rolling from above the back of the knee to your gluteus.

Gluteals & IT Band

Sit with your butt on top of the foam roller with your arms supporting you from behind or on the sides.
Bend your knees, then cross one leg so that your ankle is over the opposite knee.
Shift your bodyweight over to the side of the crossed leg and roll over your glutes, finding your trigger points and tight spots.
Repeat on the opposite side.
From the glute position, roll onto your side with the bottom leg extended along the roller and the top leg crossed over in front of you with that foot supported on the ground.
Use your arm and planted foot to control how much body weight and pressure you apply on the roller.
Roll on the foam roller from hip to knee.
Repeat on the other side.

Hip Flexors & Quadriceps

Roll your hip flexors before your quadriceps to allow them to loosen up and allow you to get deep into your quad roll.
Begin by lying face down on the floor with one leg extended on the roller. Place the roller in your hip flexor area (just below the hip bone). With your free leg, bend to 90 degrees and place your toe on the floor. Use your free leg to push through and move along your hip flexor.
Find those trigger points. Hold and breathe.
From there, you can continue on that leg to your quad, rolling down to just above your knee joint.
Rotate at your hip to get a different angle on the inner quad and outer quad areas.
Repeat on the other side.

Thoracic Spine

Grab a seat on the floor and lie back on the foam roller, placing the roller on your T-Spine (mid back upper back area).
Cross your arms in front of you, push through your feet and lift your butt off the floor.
Roll from the base of your ribs to the base of your neck a few times.
Find a place just below your shoulder blades and grab a seat back on the floor.
From here, place your hands behind your head (like you are suntanning) and then draw your elbow in towards your head to help support your neck.
Extend your spine over the roller while slowly separating your elbows and opening your chest. Take 3-5 deep breaths.
Bring your elbows back and roll an inch above your last position. Repeat this a few times, trying it both above and below your shoulder blades.

Latissimus Dorsi & Pectorals

Lie on the floor on your side and place the foam roller under your armpit while extending that arm overhead. Use your free arm crossed in front of you and place your hand on the floor for support.
Shift your body weight on your lats. Roll down your lats and up to your triceps.
From here, you can roll your pecs by lying face down, keeping that arm extended overhead.
With the foam roller just below your armpit, press your chest into the roller and roll in small movements over your chest.
Repeat both movements on the other side.