Five ways to use a foam roller to get a flat stomach

You might have used a foam roller to give yourself an after-workout massage. Research shows that foam rollers can decrease swelling, pain and soreness and hasten the tissue-repair and recovery process after an exercise session. They do this by relaxing contracted muscles, improving blood circulation and stimulating the stretch reflex in muscles.   But if you thought the firm yet cushiony cylinder exists only to give you a deep-tissue massage and wash away your stiffness and aches, think again. There are legit ways to workout with a foam roller. Here are our top five foam roller moves: [caption id=“attachment_7573601” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image by Pexels from Pixabay[/caption]

Shifting plank

• Lie down on a mat on your stomach. Now come into a forearm plank position, with your forearms placed on the foam roller. Make sure your body is in one line from head to heels, and your elbows are right underneath your shoulders.
• Now rock back and forth, moving your forearms over the foam roller.
• Gently moving your body backwards (so the foam roller moves from under your elbows to under your wrists) will strengthen your core. Moving your body forward will strengthen your arms.
• Repeat 8-12 times.

Hamstring curl

• Lie down on your back on a mat, with the foam roller under your ankles. Your hips should be slightly off the mat. Your head, shoulders and arms stay on the mat throughout.
• Now, bend your knees as you try to move the foam roller towards your body - try to place your feet flat on the roller for stability.
• Next, straighten your legs and move the foam roller away from your body till your ankles are resting on the roller again.
• Repeat this movement 8-12 times. This will strengthen your core muscles.

Upper back roll

• Lie down on a mat with a foam roller under your shoulders. Bend your knees and place your feet firmly on the mat.
• Interlock your hands and support your head at the base of your skull.
• Lift your hips off the floor. Now, gently unbend your knees as you roll your upper back over the foam roller. (Don’t let the roller come below your waist.
• Next, move your hips towards your feet as you let your upper back roll over the foam roller back to the initial position - till your knees are bent and the roller is firmly under your shoulders again.
• Repeat 8-12 times to work out the legs and core.

IT band roll

Your IT band comprises connective tissue that runs from your outer hip to the outer part of your knee.

• Lie down on your side with the foam roller under your bottom leg - between the knee and the hip.
• Bend the top leg and place the foot in front of you on the mat for balance. Your bodyweight should mostly be on your bottom leg.
• Roll up and down - from hip to knee and back - over the foam roller 8-12 times. Repeat on the other side.

Quadriceps roll

Located at the front of your thighs, the quadriceps are a group of four muscles. These muscles control the movement of the knee and play an important role in movements like walking, running, squatting and jumping. Rectus femoris, an important muscle in this group helps in hip flexion.

• Come into the plank position, with your body weight supported on your forearms.
• Place a foam roller under one leg. (To place the other leg on the mat, turn it out and bend the knee. Now rest it comfortably out of the way of the foam roller.)
• Roll your quadricep over the foam roller from knee to hip and back.
• Repeat 8-12 times. Repeat the above steps on the opposite leg.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. For more information, please read our article on   Fitness: Benefits, Components, Types_._