Mobility Tools: Your New Best Friends

Looking for a new best friend? I have one for you, actually I have a few for you. ☺

May I introduce… foam roller, lacrosse ball, the stick and floss band.

Foam Roller: I’m sure you’ve seen one of these before. Foam rollers come in all shapes, textures and sizes. I have the Trigger Point GRID Foam Roller (in pink) and I love it. From rolling out tight hamstrings and quads to honing in on the ITB track – this guy is a very good friend. You can also rollout your back and shoulders or anywhere you feel tight. I try to get in some foam rolling everyday (sometimes 2x a day). Do a quick search online for “foam roller” and a lot of variations will come up, so do a little research to see what type of roller works best for you, but I guarantee you that you won’t regret it! Using the FR is pretty self explanatory, but once you get yours, you can Google ‘foam roller exercises’ and you’ll find a plethora of information and guides out there. (Estimated cost: $35-$60)

Lacrosse Ball: In my opinion, golf balls are a little too small & hard (try laying on one!), baseballs are a little too big, and tennis balls are a little too squishy. Lo and behold the lacrosse ball – just right. By far, my BFF of all mobility tools. ♥  I tend to get extra tight in my non-ExoSym side hip flexor and glute and have found that rolling out / laying on my lacrosse ball allows me to really hone in on the tight areas and release the fascia. I even carry my LB with me to work sometimes. This is definitely a tool I use everyday, if not multiple times a day – I LOVE it! (& they make good presents. I even gave my mom one for Christmas!) You can purchase a lacrosse ball from nearly any sporting goods store or online sports retailer. They also come in lots of colors. Google ‘lacrosse ball exercises’ and you’ll be on your way to a happier glute and hip – or any tight area you want to reach! (Estimated cost: $2-$5)

The Stick: Also known as the “toothbrush of muscles” is a pretty close friend of mine. I picked one of these up during a race packet pickup and it’s been most useful for targeting the ITB, quads, calf and glute. I like it because it’s easy to rotate and perfect for those days when you want to apply a little more pressure than what you can achieve with the foam roller. Also, a super easy travel buddy. The stick comes in different sizes and flexibilities, so check out this page when deciding on what’s best for you. There are of course other brands out there, so just google “mobility stick running” if you’d like to shop around. (Estimated cost: $25-$35)

Floss Band: Think of this as a temporary compression band. Perfect for compressing tissue to aid in workout recovery. When I feel a tight hamstring coming on or happen to pull it during a workout, I wrap it up in my sassy floss band and squat up and down for 30 sec or so and then release the band and repeat a couple times. Really seems to help. I’ve also used this for my non-ExoSym calf – when it gets tight or I happen to pull it. I basically wrap the floss band around my calf, move my ankle up and down for 30sec or so and then release the band & repeat. It can also double as a wrap to tie ice packs onto your body. ☺ I’d say this is a friend you don’t necessarily need to have, but if you are working out a lot and have sore muscles, you might take a look into the floss. These can be purchased through CrossFit stores or online retailers like Amazon. Just be sure to read about how to use the bands and the pressure to apply before using them. (Estimated cost: $20-$30)

I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting my mobility friends, but know there are a multitude of other fabulous mobility friends out there, so don’t let my four buds stop you from meeting more! Check out your local running store to try a few before purchasing. If you aren’t sure where to get started, I’d say the foam roller and lacrosse ball would be a good place to start. The more you get to know your mobility friends, the better! #mobilitymatters ☺

#beYOU #beAMAZING #ExoSymplyAmazing