The One Foam Rolling Exercise You Should Be Doing But Probably Aren't
If you have a desk job, you're probably familiar with aches and pains. Whether it's your upper back, lower back, neck, or wrists, sitting at a desk typing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. takes its toll. Repetitive motions like typing or texting and poor posture can lead to overuse injuries and muscular imbalances.
While taking breaks and walks around your office are certainly recommended, you've gotta give your body extra love sometimes.
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Enter the foam roller. When used correctly, a foam roller is an excellent tool for creating space and easing pain. Foam rolling has been shown to improve joint mobility and ease muscle aches.
Skeptical? Check out the super-simple foam-rolling exercise below, give it a try, and prepare to have a much happier lower back. This exercise is lengthening the space between the bottom ribs and the top of the pelvis where the quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle attaches. The QL is a common muscle of dysfunction in those with lower back issues.
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Lauren Roxburgh is an author, educator, and speaker, frequently dubbed “The Body Whisperer." She is an expert on all things fascia, alignment, and movement medicine and regularly works with celebrities, athletes and orthopedic surgeons. Roxburgh has her bachelor's in nutrition and exercise physiology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is also a certified Pilates instructor and Structural Integration practitioner. Named the "Body Alignment Pro" by Vogue, she has also been listed as one of the 8 Tech Pioneers to Watch by Entrepreneur magazine, and one of the 16 Women in Wellness to Watch in 2019 by Chalkboard Magazine. Roxburgh is also the founder of the Aligned Tribe Community, the virtual Aligned Life Studio and the creator of the signature Aligned Healing Tools.