If you use the right technique, a foam roller can act like a really good, free masseuse. It not only prepares your body for the stresses of a workout, but it also relieves aches and prevents them from coming back, he says. That’s right: a free massage that stops pain. It doesn’t get much better than that.
So, what hurts? Keep reading to find your foam rolling fix for common pains. (Of course, if the pain persists or continues to get worse, see a qualified health professional.) Foam rolling might feel uncomfortable at first, but that means the muscle needs rolling. The more you do it, the less discomfort you’ll feel.
LOW-BACK PAIN
If your low back hurts, foam roll your hips. Why? “If your hips are really stiff, you’re forced to bend at your waist instead,” explains Boyle. “This puts pressure on your lower back—especially if weight is added during an exercise—and leads to pain and injury over time.”
[A] Start seated on the foam roller, feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and your hands on the floor behind you. Cross your right leg over your left, forming a figure 4 with your legs. Rotate your hips to the right until you find a spot in that hip or glute that feels tight. [B] Move your hips forward and back to massage any tight areas. Repeat on your left side.
UPPER-BACK PAIN
Sitting at your desk, in your car, or on your couch all day can cause the muscles of your upper back to stiffen, leading to poor posture, weak shoulders, and upper-back pain. To relieve the chronic tightness or sharp pain between your shoulder blades, try this foam rolling trick: As you roll along your upper back, keep your elbows squeezed together in front of your face, suggests Boyle. This gets your shoulder blades out of the way, exposing the tight muscles you really want to work.
[A] Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Place the foam roller behind you, perpendicular to your torso. Lie back on the foam roller. Adjust it so that the roller is even with your shoulder blades. [B] Raise your butt up so that your weight is supported by your feet and the foam roller. Touch your elbows together. Move your hips up and down to roll along your upper back.
HEEL PAIN
If your heel hurts—especially if you feel pain during the first few steps you take after you wake up—you may have plantar fasciitis, says Sadie Antosz, a coach with Men’s Health Thrive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The plantar fascia is a band of fiber that runs along the bottom of your foot and attaches at your heel, and it can easily become inflamed.
[A] While standing on your left foot, place a lacrosse ball or golf ball underneath your right foot. Shift your weight to put some pressure on the ball, but keep most of your weight on your left foot. [B] Roll up and down the foot from toe to heel. Turn your foot slightly in or out as you roll, making sure to hit every inch of the bottom of your foot. Repeat on the other foot.
SHOULDER PAIN (BACK SIDE)
The average guy tends to focus on the deltoids, the rounded muscles that cap the upper arms. But that means they neglect the smaller stabilizing muscles in the back of the shoulder joint. This can lead to a strength imbalance and pain.
“That’s why you’ll feel a lot of junk there when you place a foam roller against the back of the shoulder,” says Nick Murtha, a coach with Men’s Health Thrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But rather than moving your entire body against the roller to dig into tough spots, keep the roller in place at the back of your shoulder and move your arm instead. “Rotating your arm around the roller helps relieve the buildup,” he says.
[A] Lie faceup on the floor with the foam roller placed in the middle part of your back. It should be parallel to your body. Cross your left leg over your right and place your left foot on the floor, and turn your torso 45 degrees to the right. [B] Use your left foot to push your body back and forth, running the roller up along your lat. {C] When the roller is touching the back of your shoulder, stop. With your elbow bent 90 degrees, move your arm around to help work out any knots you feel. Repeat on the other side.
SHOULDER PAIN (FRONT SIDE)
Your shoulder is the most complex and unstable joint in your body—so it’s typically one of the first places to get hurt. Using a roller to massage the delicate muscles in the joint can keep the tissues healthy and prevent injury in the long run.
Try this: When foam rolling, search for a tight spot that feels like a marble in your chest near your shoulder. “You might have a bit of a tingling feeling, which is OK, but avoid any spots that feel like a nerve radiating,” Murtha says.
[A] Begin lying on your belly, your right arm in a goal post position. Place the foam roller on the ground between your chest and shoulder. Position the roller at a 45 degree angle so it crosses your body like an X. [B] Extend your right arm forward, like Superman. Then pull your elbow down toward your ribcage. Repeat to work out any knots. Repeat the move on your left side.
SHIN PAIN
Shin splints are most commonly caused by an inflammation of the sheath surrounding the tibia bone, and are usually due to running on hard surfaces or jumping. Do You Suffer from Shin Splints? “This exercise is great for runners,” says Sam Stauffer, a coach with Men’s Health Thrive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Anybody who is familiar with shin splints will thank you for showing this rolling exercise to them. Foam rolling releases the inflammation around the bone.” One word of caution: If your shin splints are caused by stress fractures, you should avoid this exercise, he advises.
[A] Begin on your hands and knees with the foam roller underneath your chest on the floor. Draw your right knee toward your face and place your right shin on the foam roller. [B] Using your left leg to control the pressure, roll up and down your shin. When you find a tough spot, stop, and flex and extend your ankle.
ACHILLES TENDON PAIN
If the bottom of your calf bothers you, limited ankle mobility might be the culprit, says Sean De Wispelaere, a coach with Men’s Health Thrive in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This exercise will help break up restrictions in your calf.
Plus, it might save you from back pain in the future. The reason: The tighter your ankles, the more your back has to flex to compensate during a squat. When your lower back is rounded, it’s more susceptible to injuries like bulged discs.
[A] Sit on the floor, legs extended. Place the foam roller underneath the belly of your right calf. Cross your left ankle over your right. [B] Roll up and down along your right calf. Turn your foot to the inside and outside to hit the calf from every angle. If you find a knot, stop, and flex and extend your foot to massage the hot spot against the roller.
KNEE PAIN
Poor stability in your hip joint can cause your iliotibial (IT) band to overcompensate during exercise, leading to knee pain. In an attempt to minimize the pain, many people foam roll the wide strip of tendon on the outside of their thigh in hopes of loosening it. However, the IT band is like a chunk of leather, and it could take hours of foam rolling it to make any difference.
If your knees hurt, try rolling the inside of your thigh instead, suggests Murtha. This can help reduce any inflammation in the muscles that pull on the knee joint.
[A] Lying face down, bring your right leg out to the side and rotate it so that your inner thigh is against the floor. Place the foam roller on your inner thigh perpendicular to your leg. Pin your forearms to the floor in a shoulder plank position. [B] Use your arms to work the roller up and down along your inner thigh.