Over time, as our bodies change with age, we face a shift in our muscle tissue. Muscles tend to lose more elasticity. The connective tissue around the joints is prone to cramping and tension, which can be a key factor for chronic pain. Recovery might take some time longer. 

These are changes we face and have to work with. 

Nevertheless, chronic pain should not be the norm, and there are so many effective ways to work against it. 

Several studies show that foam rolling is an effective treatment to improve blood circulation, reducing tightness in connective tissues and muscles and a potent way to recover faster from muscle fever and chronic pain, such as knee, back, neck, hip, shoulder, elbow pain, etc. 

Foam rolling has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years due to health and fitness experts explaining numerous benefits to the public. 

So, what is foam rolling?

Foam rolling is a self-massage method using tools such as foam rollers and massage balls to facilitate myofascial relief. 

You can ease muscle tension by using your body weight and rolling around tight areas with a specifically designed tool. As we get older, it is vital to keep our muscles and tissue healthy, strong and mobile. Tight spots can have a tremendous effect on our well-being and our ability to function normally. 

Foam rolling is a low-priced and easy way to keep you healthy at home. 

Benefits

What are the benefits of using a foam roller?

Increases blood circulation

How to improve your blood circulation? The compression of the connective tissue and muscles allows the body fluids to be distributed more evenly throughout the targeted spots after rolling. The blood and lymphatic circulation can thus be enhanced and improved. Toxins and waste material can be flushed out more effectively due to better circulation. 

Eases painful spots/areas

How to ease pain and painful muscle spots? Tight muscle spots can cause a lot of pain which nearly everybody knows. With foam rolling, these knots can be targeted directly, and pain can be relieved. Paired with the right breath work, you can feel ease in a concise amount of time. 

Increases joint flexibility

How to enhance joint flexibility? Insufficient exercising or wrong exercising can cause stiffness and tightness in the joints. To set the record straight, joints don’t usually get stiff, it is the tissue that surrounds the joints (muscle insertions, tendons, ligaments). Foam rolling is a great way to relieve tight spots around the joints and therefore make them more flexible and mobile. NOTE: Do not directly roll your joints!

Promotes natural movement pattern

How to increase natural movement patterns? Muscle imbalances can cause enormous unnatural movement patterns. If these patterns are then continued, they can cause chronic pain, joint malpositions or feelings of numbness (due to nerve impingement). Foam rolling is an excellent way to counteract muscle imbalances and impaired movement patterns. 

Exercises

We have designed a little sequence you can do at home, which only takes a few minutes a day. If you are insecure about specific exercises, please refer to a health professional for advice. Make sure to hydrate well and stay active with Meglio. 

Before you start:

If you do foam rolling for the first time, a softer version of a foam roller is an excellent thing to start with. 

• Never roll your joints. 
• Roll in multiple directions to get a feeling for how to use your tool.  
• Foam rolling shouldn’t be extremely painful. It should relieve pain and aches and feel good.  
• Avoid holding your breath throughout the entire process and work with the breath.

Let’s get started:

1 MIDDLE BACK RELEASE

Starting position:

Sit down to your mat on the floor. Place a foam roller horizontally behind you. Keep your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and engage your core. 

Exercise:

Interlace your fingers behind your head and come down to the floor in a very controlled motion. Your mid-upper back should now touch the horizontally placed foam roller. You should feel the foam roller pressing against your mid-upper back. On your exhale try to release yourself down and let your head (if possible) rest on the floor. Stay there for 1-2 minutes and take deep breaths. 

When you are finished, roll to your left side by pivoting your knees to the ground, following with your elbows and shoulders. Press yourself up to a seating position by pressing your right hand firmly into the ground. 

MODIFICATION: You can do this exercise on a chair in a seated position, as well. 

NOTE: Skip this exercise, if you are suffering from stabbing back pain and/or ask a health professional for support. 

 

2 ROLL YOUR BACK AGAINST A WALL

Starting position:

Stand close to a wall with your back facing the wall. ?Place a foam ball, roller or peanut between your back and the wall. 

Exercise:

Roll now up and down your ‘sweet spots’ by bending and extending your knees. Circle around, play around with the direction which feels right for you. Make sure not to pass your toes with your knees. When you have a tight spot, hold it there for 20 seconds, work with your breath and move on.

3 ROLL YOUR QUADS

Starting position: 

Turn your left side towards a wall. Make sure to be straight in your back and engage your core. Find a stable foundation with your feet and slightly bend and lock your knees. 

Exercise:

Place a foam roller, ball or peanut between the side of your front upper leg and the wall. Lean gently in until you hit the spot and a ‘feeling of pressure’ you can work with. Adjust your rolling tool to a few different spots down the side of your quad muscle, starting from hips to just above your knees. When you are done, turn around and repeat on your right side. 

4 ROLL YOUR FEET

Starting position:

Get seated on a chair in an upright position. Make sure to have a steady object (desk) in front of you to hold on to. Place a foam roller, ball or peanut horizontally under your feet.

Exercise:

Bend your knees to a 90° angle. Now start rolling the soles of your feet by moving your feet back and forth. Intensify the massage by rolling just one foot at a time and bringing more weight to your foot. Roll for 1-2 minutes or longer. This is a great exercise you can do while f.e.: watching TV or reading a book. 

5 ROLL YOUR FOREARM

Starting position:

Sit upright on a chair with your core engaged. Place a foam roller, ball or peanut horizontally on a desk in front of you. 

Exercise:

Keep your palm facing downwards and place your wrist on your rolling tool. Very slowly and with control and some pressure, roll the bottom side of your forearm forwards until you reach your elbow. (Stop right before it) Hinge from your hips and keep your spine straight while rolling forward. 

Place the rolling tool again to the starting position and now, turn your palm upward and roll the upper side of your forearm. When you are finished, take it to your other arm. 

Summary

Do you suffer from chronic pain and stiff joints? There are numerous ways to get flexible, strong, relaxed and healthy. Join Meglio with a foam rolling sequence for the elderly to keep you fit and happy. 

According to the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), older people who implement muscle-strength training can accomplish muscles that are similar to those of people in their 30s. 

As we age, the muscles surrounding hips, back, knees, ankles, shoulders and more can become tight and inflexible. This is of particular concern to the mature members of our population because it may affect mobility and even can have painful side effects. 

On the other hand, stiff and inflexible muscles and muscle areas can have an impact on our proprioception and ability to move safely in space. If we care about stability and balance, we can look to the future with joy.  

Whether you are over 60 or a teenager, we all need to train our balance and stability. Nevertheless, with a little motivation and attempting specific movements regularly, we can significantly improve our balance and strength.

Stability and balance exercises are great ways to let muscle groups work together to keep the body healthy through a full ROM (range of motion). 

Increased stability and balance can help you in so many ways. You are less prone to injury due to stable joints. The power you need for exercising or simply by conquering daily life can be distributed more evenly throughout the body, which means moving your body in one unit helps you to perform movements more effectively. 

Benefits

More balance through unstable surfaces

How to improve balance and stability? 

You don’t need to exhaust yourself to gain more balance and stability. By using simple items and tools such as wobble boards, gym balls, or walking on uneven grounds, you can easily enhance your balance and stability. Unstable surfaces are challenging the body to adapt, which leads to improved muscle tone, stable joints and less pain. 

More core stability

What are the benefits of increased core stability?

The core, your abdominal and lower back muscles, is a muscle group that protects your lumbar spine as well as assists in maintaining the core balance of your frame. For example, walking on uneven grounds or exercising with a gym ball can help you to strengthen those muscle groups and make everyday activities noticeably easier. 

Active Sitting 

What is active sitting, and how does it help?

Active sitting is a form of ‘exercise’ performed on a gym ball or similar tool to let the body always correct itself against gravity. That means sitting on an unstable surface forces all muscle groups to work together and activates deeper muscle groups that are vital in postural alignment. It is also very beneficial for circulation if you are suffering from f.e.: cold feet. 

Exercises

Grab your gym ball, and let’s start the following sequence. If you want additional support, place the ball against a wall or a steady object. If you want some extra challenge, try to make the moves with closed eyes. Listen to your body what is right.

1 LEG LIFTS

Starting position:

Sit down on your gym ball in an upright position. Draw your shoulders back and away from the ears. Engage your core, lift your chest and keep your spine straight. Keep your knees bent to a 90° angle and your feet firm to the ground. Breathe deeply. 

Exercise:

Bring your hands to the sides of your hips on the gym ball for stability. On your inhale, extend your right knee by just lifting your toes to the sky. Keep your feet flexed the entire exercise. On your exhale, bring your foot back to starting position and alternate with your left foot. Repeat this move 10 times each side.

 

2 BOUNCING

Starting position:

Sit down on your gym ball in an upright position. Draw your shoulders back and away from the ears. Engage your core, lift your chest and keep your spine straight. Keep your knees bent to a 90° angle and your feet firm to the ground. Breathe deeply. 

Exercise:

Extend the arms away from you in front of your chest about shoulder level. Keep this position the entire exercise. Now, start bouncing on the gym ball by pressing into your feet. You can adjust the intensity of the bouncing by controlling the movement with your thighs and knees. Bounce for 30 seconds, make a short break and bounce again for 30 seconds. 

3 SIDE STRETCH

Starting position: 

Sit down on your gym ball in an upright position. Draw your shoulders back and away from the ears. Engage your core, lift your chest and keep your spine straight. Keep your knees bent to a 90° angle, step your feet more than hip-width apart and press them firmly into the ground for stability. Breathe deeply. 

Exercise:

Place your left hand onto your left hip. On your inhale, extend your right arm overhead and feel a nice stretch on your right side. On your exhale, pull your fingertips towards the left. Do not compromise your starting position, focus on stretching out your right flank. With every exhale, try to go a little bit deeper. Take 5 breaths here and with control come back up to starting position and repeat for another 5 breaths on your left side. 

4 OVERHEAD LIFT

Starting position:

Sit down on your gym ball or on a chair in an upright position. Draw your shoulders back and away from the ears. Engage your core, lift your chest and keep your spine straight. Keep your knees bent to a 90° angle and your feet firm to the ground. Breathe deeply. 

Exercise:

Grab a(nother) gym ball and place them onto your lap. Now, place your hands on each side of the ball at the centre (so it won’t slide away). On your inhale, lift the ball overhead by extending your arms. On your exhale bring it back to your lap. 

To modify you can also bring the ball on the floor in front of you by hinging from your hips. (Keep a straight spine here). 

Repeat this movement 10 times. 

5 HIP CIRCLES

Starting position:

Sit down on your gym ball in an upright position. Draw your shoulders back and away from the ears. Engage your core, lift your chest and keep your spine straight. Keep your knees bent to a 90° angle and step your feet together. Breathe deeply. 

Exercise:

Either interlace your fingers behind your head or keep your hands next to your hips on the gym ball for stability. Start now to circle your hips clockwise. The power comes from the feet. Make sure not to pass your toes with your knees. Circle 10 times clockwise and reverse direction for another 10 times. 

Summary

If you feel a little bit unstable and require a bit of support that doesn’t exhaust you, you are well-advised to try out a gym ball. Let your body do the work for you and reap all the great benefits with Meglio.