Foam rolling exercises make a fantastic addition to your self-healing repertoire. This self-myofascial release technique can safely and effectively relieve tension, tightness, and pain in your back.

You can use these foam rolling exercises in conjunction with other healing approaches, such as massage, acupuncture, or hot and cold therapy.

Keep reading to learn about foam rollers, along with six exercises you can use to relieve soreness from strenuous exercise, get rid of aches and pains after a night’s rest, or take away the stress of the day.

A foam roller is a lightweight foam cylinder that you use to self-administer deep tissue massage. Foam rolling releases muscle knots, relieves inflammation, and improves overall comfort.

It can also increase your range of motion, flexibility, and mobility while boosting circulation and lymphatic flow.

Foam rollers can vary in size and firmness to bring about different results. Depending on your needs, you can experiment with one or more of the following options:

To relieve pain and tightness in your back, do these exercises three to four times per week, even if your symptoms improve. The key is to prevent or alleviate discomfort before it becomes chronic.

If you’re experiencing intense pain, wait until you recover before foam rolling.

You can do the exercises on their own or before or after a workout.

Make sure you align your body properly on the foam roller and use an exercise mat for cushioning. Use care when coming off the foam roller, and give yourself up to 1 minute to relax before repeating an exercise or moving on to the next.

This stretch can help to relieve tension in your upper back and alleviate poor posture that stems from leaning or hunching forward often. It also helps to align your head, neck, and spine.

This exercise aligns your spine and releases muscle knots, tightness, and tension. It promotes excellent posture and is useful for people who sit for extended periods. Avoid going lower than your mid-back, which is where your rib cage ends.

This stretch alleviates tension in the area below your underarms. This helps to improve your posture and improve mobility in your upper body.

This exercise relieves tension in your low back. Avoid putting too much pressure on this area.

This exercise strengthens your core, which helps to support posture, stability, and alignment.

Relieving tension in your gluteus maximus helps to loosen up stiff legs while supporting the strength and stability of your low back.

To support the strength and stability of your low back, focus on relieving tension in your glutes, which also loosens up your legs.

Foam rolling has a wealth of benefits, and it’s worth checking out if you want to loosen up tight muscles, relieve soreness, and heighten feelings of relaxation.

The practice may help you to align your body and move with greater ease. Consider enhancing your relief by using a menthol muscle rub or essential oils before or after your routine, followed by a hot shower or bath.

Pay attention to your body and treat symptoms as soon as they arise, noticing which activities trigger symptoms.

If you continue to experience pain or if it gets worse, talk to a doctor, physiotherapist, or osteopath. They can help you figure out which muscles and exercises you should focus on and may recommend a specific type of foam roller.

Last medically reviewed on February 24, 2020

Accessible, affordable, and easy-to-use, foam rolling is one of the greatest exercise techniques ever invented. And you don’t need to be a gym-goer to…

Experiencing lower back pain? Sometimes, all you need are some simple exercises for your lower back. That's why we've put together a simple routine of…

Foam rolling may offer benefits to people with sore muscles, or it can also be used to help you relax. It may even help to reduce pain associated with…

Posture exercises help you to strengthen the muscles in your back and stand a little taller. We’ll tell you how to do 12 easy exercises that you can…

Find out what types of self-massage techniques work best to relieve pain and discomfort.

There are many types of back massagers targeted to provide relief to areas, like the shoulders or low back. Here are the best back massagers to…

Swedish massage is the most common massage therapy in the U.S. This technique targets muscles to promote relaxation and possible short-term pain…

Whether they're jade, quartz, or metal, face rollers may have some benefits. Let's take a look at potential benefits and some common myths about face…

Feeling sore after a massage is pretty common, especially if you've had a deep tissue massage or another type that requires a lot of pressure. Learn…