Foam roller sessions: back and hip joint

Muscles are covered with fascia. It is connective tissue that connects the whole body into one system. After desk work, the same movements every day or hard training, you can feel "tight": it is hard to bend, the hips feel blocked, the back is tired in the evening.

The foam roller helps to:

• feel less stiff in the back, glutes and thighs;
• get the body ready for stretching and strength work;
• feel lighter after training or a long day at the desk;
• feel your body better and notice where the movement gets stuck.

But the roller alone doesn't change your posture and doesn't make the joints more mobile for a long time. The effect stays when after rolling you do mobility and strength exercises. So in our sessions we always do both.

Movement biomechanics means how joints and muscles work when you bend, squat, lift or walk. If the hip moves too little, the lower back does the job. If the upper back is stiff, the neck and shoulders take the load.

So in a session I look at the whole movement, not at one muscle:

• do you bend forward from the hips or from the lower back;
• how deep and even is your squat;
• how easily does your upper back turn;
• how do your glutes work when you walk and go up the stairs.

After rolling we fix the new movement with exercises. More about joints on the Joint mobility page.

If you practise regularly (2 sessions a week and a short roller routine alone), usually clients notice:

• after the first sessions: the back and hips feel lighter;
• after 2–4 weeks: it is easier to bend and squat, and the body is less stiff in the evening;
• after 1–2 months: you move with more confidence in daily life and in training.

The timelines depend on your daily life and how regularly you practise.

• A foam roller of medium hardness, 30–45 cm long. If you don't have one yet, I help you choose;
• a mat and a bit of free floor;
• a massage ball if you like, for the glutes and feet.

We choose a time for your time zone.

If you have sharp back pain, numbness in the legs, an injury, varicose veins, a recent surgery, or you recently gave birth, ask your doctor first if you can train. Roller sessions are fitness, they don’t find the reason of pain. Rolling should never give sharp pain. If it hurts, we make the pressure softer or change the exercise.

• One "Stretching & joint mobility" session: €50 for 50 minutes, and we can use the whole time for the roller.
• Personal training for a month: €180 for 4 sessions, the roller is a part of the plan together with mobility and strength.