DENVER — We're taking this week off from the resistance and cardiovascular training to take a moment to learn the basics of stretching.
Stretching is the most important part of every workout. I always stress that stretches should be done before and after every workout, but this takes it one step further with advanced movements to relieve deep soreness and aches.
We're starting with foam rolling, which can obviously be done with a foam roller, but can also be achieved with a water bottle or a hard ball. Foam rolling promotes healthy blood flow and breaks down any scar tissue built up inside your muscles. It's a key part of a healthy stretch routine, which lengthens each muscle, promotes muscle healing, reduces soreness and increases your range of motion.
Your body is made up of fascia, connective tissue that stabilizes and separates muscles. That fascia gets balled up (Think: like a sheet of plastic wrap!) and needs to be released.
Foam rolling is the most efficient way, besides a formal massage, to release that fascia and promote the healthy blood flow throughout all of your muscles.
Foam rolling
- Start by laying on the roller vertically down your spine. Use arm circles in a swimming motion to loosen up your back and shoulders.
- Move the roller to your glute. Sit on the roller and use full passes from the bottom of the lower back to the top of the thigh. Sit on a spot if you feel a knot and let it release.
- Move to the hamstring and perform same motion.
- Lay on your side and move from the top of the knee to the bottom of the hip. This is your IT Band. perform same movement.
- Lay on your stomach with the roller underneath your body. Perform full rolls from the bottom of the hip to the top of the knee for your quadriceps.
- Bring the roller up to your chest and place it in between your chest and arm at a "V" position. Place your wrist downward and twist until you roll out your chest and rotator cuff. Perform same movement on other side.
- Flip over and lay on roller horizontally across upper back. Roll your shoulders in full pass. Roll your body to one side to get more pressure on one shoulder. Repeat on other side.
Stretching
- Use a towel/scarf/yoga strap to place around the bottom of your foot and hold on with both hands. Extend one leg into the air and bring it back toward your chest for a hamstring stretch. Hold for 30 seconds.
- Swing that same leg out to the side to stretch the inner thigh and hip.
- Swing that leg across your chest, keeping your shoulders flat on the ground. You should be stretching your glutes and hips.
- Bring your knee into your chest to stretch your hipflexor
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