For Self-Care and Stress Relief.
If you work out regularly, have tight muscles (who doesn't?), suffer from injuries, have muscle imbalances, feel stressed or experience tension in your body, then foam rolling and trigger point therapy is for you.
Today, we are rollin’ out with #rollmodel Steven White, who will be demonstrating our three most requested moves for muscle and pain relief! Now that’s what we are talking about... release those knots!
Key Foam Rolling Points For Beginners:
- Stay on soft tissue; avoid bone and joint areas, recent injuries, scars, inflamed areas
- Stabilize your core and neck muscles to maintain neutral neck/head alignment
- Breathe slowly and consistently (start 4secs in 4secs out - or box breathing)
- Drink plenty of water
- Work both sides of the body
- We don’t want you in a lot of pain, we charge extra for that, Pain tolerance thresholds guide: 3-7 max
#1 Neck Release
The perfect move for those of you hunched over a computer all day. Stretch and massage those stiff neck muscles, this helps to alleviate neck pain.
- Place the Mobot so it sits stationary in the natural curve of your neck.
- Up and Downs (Yes’s) - Start with your head in a neutral position. Next lift the chin up slowly, towards the ceiling. Next lower your chin down slowly, towards your chest.
- Side to side (No’s) - With the Mobot still in the curve of your neck, gently turn your head to the right and then the left.
Founder Tip: I like to do the "Yes’s" when my head is turned to the side.
#2 Upper Back Release
This move massages the upper back muscles and may help to improve spine and rib cage range of motion.
- From a seated position and knees bent, lean back and lower yourself to place your upper back on the MOBOT, you can cross your hands over your chest.
Want more? lift up your hips - knees bent and feet flat on the floor - then use your feet to push and pull your torso back and forth up and down the roller.
- If you find a tender spot, pause, breathe and allow it to release.
Founder Tip: For added chest stretch I lower my hips (stop rolling), engage my core, ribs down not flared - then take my arms up over my head, thumbs facing towards the floor behind your head, biceps by your ears, and slowly lower until you feel a stretch through the upper chest and shoulders; breathe, release, come back up!
#3 Quad Release
Massage those quadriceps because tight quads and hips can lead to knee pain.
- Lay face down with the Mobot positioned on your thigh. Place forearms on the floor for leverage.
- You can roll from just above the knee to just below the hip.
- Slowly raise your heel off the ground towards your butt, once elevated you can gently take your foot side to side.
- Some don't like to get down and dirty here but this is very important, so get up close and personal with the groin area to open up those hips!
Check out @MOBOTNation Stories and IGTV for more tips and tricks.
