Lower traps can be pretty pesky to get working. This exercise is a great way of really isolating them and understanding exactly what they do! You’ll know it when you feel it!
Often when someone has issues with their lower back, their adductor muscles or inner thigh muscles are tight and compromising their legs. Knees that tend to move inwards are likely to be affected by overly tight adductors too so rolling these suckers out is the way to go. You can do this one from the lowest part of your thigh next to your knee all the way up into the groin. Gentlemen – ensure your well secured… you will understand what I am saying.
A Glute/Piriformis release can often relieve sciatic nerve pain and it helps loosen up the hip. This is a great release exercise to help with hip flexibility and it can also contribute to a reduction in lower back pain! Can’t say no to that!
The calf release using a foam roller is a great way of releasing those tight calf muscles. Due to postural imbalances, the calves can become tight so this is a great way to sort them out!
The good old ITB. ITB stands for Iliotibial Tract or Band and is often involved in causing tightness and soreness in the lower back as it can tilt the hips forward thus creating a pinch on the lower spine.
No point in sugar coating this one- this release can be uncomfortable BUT it doesn’t have to be unbearable. By using your free hands and free leg, you can support a good amount of your weight to take some of the pressure off. As you get better at doing this release and of course as the ITB becomes less tight, you can apply more weight.
Tips for this exercise are quite simple.. use your free leg to take some of your weight. If you want to get a bit of your TFL or Tensor Fasciae Latae involved (which is attached and part of your ITB) you can slightly change the angle of your body from the side and onto your stomach but we are talking only ever so slightly.
This is one of my favourite foam roller releases! So many of us sit in front of a computer for hours on end and use all the muscles on the front side of our body yet the muscles on our back get a bit tight, weak and ignored! Slouching happens and posturally it all goes to crap!
By rolling out on a foam roller, we can loosen up those tight muscles, encourage some blood flow and help get some thoracic extension happening to counter act the day to day lack of movement in that area!
I find that if you take a big breath in and really expand your rib cage you will naturally extend your middle to upper spine. Feel those lower ribs stretch out!