Roll With it: Foam Roller Fitness Workout

Foam rollers aren’t just an amazing way to promote lymphatic drainage with self-massage at home, they are also a way to work your core when you’re on the go! Toss a foam roller in your gym bag (or your suitcase) and you’ll have a way to activate deep core muscles, strengthen your spine, and challenge the sensory receptors in the body. Try this foam roller workout today!

Roll Up: Strengthens abs

Lying with your tailbone at the end of roller, align your spine on top of the roller with your head also resting on the roller. Reach your arms over your head and inhale through your nose while you roll up reaching toward your knees, exhale, and pull your navel to your spine. Repeat five times.

Leg Circles: Strengthens core and hips.

Lying on the roller, stabilize your shoulders and lift your right leg up. Inhale and circle your leg out and around, imagining the size of a bread plate on the ceiling, exhale and repeat five times and then circle the opposite direction. Do the same set on the left leg.

Toe Tap Knee Lifts: Strengthens core

Lying on your roller, shoulders stabilized, inhale and bend your right knee in. Exhale and pull your knee up, right passed the hip, about 90 degrees. Inhale and tap the right foot down. Exhale and lift the left knee up. Switch from one knee to the other, in a slow controlled rhythm, inhale and lift one knee, exhale and switch. Repeat five sets.

Double Leg Stretch

Place roller under heels, horizontally. Lengthen body out, arms over head. Inhale, roll up, and bend knees in rolling the foam roller into the toes. Exhale, draw navel to your spine. Inhale, extend body out. Exhale and curl in. Repeat five times.

Plank on the Roller: Activates the entire core

Lying in a plank position on your elbows and forearm, head extended long and shins on the roller. Inhale and exhale counting to 10. Pull your navel in to your spine, so that you do not arch your back. Inhale and exhale on each one count.

Hamstring, Back, and Neck Stretch

Sitting right on top of roller, legs extended and toes flexed, inhale and reach for toes. Exhale and hold for three slow breaths. Second stretch, allow the body to completely fold forward, relaxing shoulders, head neck and breath slowly for five counts.