Three Moves for Fascial Health With a Foam Roller

Tiffany Cruikshank sitting on yoga mat next to orange foam roller

Your fascial health is so important for performance, recovery and resilience, and to resist injury during training.

Below are three moves you can do with any foam roller to restore health and vitality to your fascial tissues.

Shoulder and Upper Extremities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0hHLiMdFxM

Lie on your right side and place the foam roller under your right armpit. Your right elbow should touch the floor to relax your shoulder. Rest your head in your right hand.
Stay here for a few deep breaths or rock back and forth.
Roll forward over the foam roller and rest your forehead on your forearms. Feel the pressure in your pecs as you stay here for 30 to 60 seconds. Relax your shoulder and right arm.
Come up, remove the foam roller and lie back—notice the difference between your right and left arm. Switch sides and repeat.

Hamstrings and Calves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mUMiUQvU6o

Lie on your back and place the foam roller under your upper thighs. Bring the foam roller as close to your bottom as you can without lifting your hips.
Let your legs be heavy.
Rotate your legs back and forth over the foam roller to drag the tissues across the roller.
Perform for 30 to 60 seconds.
Move the foam roller a few inches down to the middle of your hamstrings and repeat, then move it farther down again and repeat.
Place the foam roller under the top of your calves and perform the same movement for 30 to 60 seconds. Reposition the foam roller lower on your calves and repeat.

Neck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt9k--bX9s8

Lie on your back and place your head on the foam roller. Your neck should not be on the foam roller, shoulders hanging toward the floor.
Drop your head onto the foam roller and let your neck drape off it.
Without lifting your head off the roller, turn your head to the right as far as you can. Stop there, drop your head back and start to make little circles with your head. (Think about moving your nose in a 1-inch circle.)
Stay here for 30 to 60 seconds. Relax, then come back to center and circle for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the left side.
Once you’ve finished all three, remove the foam roller, lie flat and notice the effects.

Photo and video credit: Mark Kuroda, kurodastudios.com