The Sporting Club San Diego: Trainer Tip of the Week — Foam Rolling

This month’s E&L TV features a helpful segment with fitness trainer Kris Machain from the Sporting Club San Diego. Kris and his assistant Danny demonstrate an effective workout that is simple enough for everyone to incorporate into their routine.

The trainer tip of the week from this video is foam rolling. According to Kris, foam rolling is an important aspect of training that everyone should be doing before their actual work out. Kris highlights three main focuses of foam rolling: the calves, the piriformis, and the thoracic spine.

For your calves: Sit on the ground with both calves crossed on the foam roll. Lift your body off the ground and pull the calves through the foam roller. Work in a high to low position, getting both the inside and outsides of the calves. The important thing here is to look for tender spots while massaging any tension you feel. Use gravity to apply pressure to the tender spots.

For your piriformis (a muscle deep in the buttocks): Sit on the roll in a figure four position by crossing the right ankle over the left knee. Put both hands behind you and rotate to the side, rolling back and forth on the piriformis. This foam roll is great for people who sit at a desk all day and have lower back problems.

For the thoracic spine: Lay your back on the roll and drop your spine to the ground. Arch and stretch your back as far as you can while exhaling. Take deep breaths in and roll up slowly while stretching.

These exercises should take about 2-3 minutes on each muscle area. Incorporating foam rolling into your workout will help you increase mobility, increase your range of motion, and reduce your risk of injury.

For more information on the Sporting Club San Diego visit their website at: http://www.thesportingclub.com/