How to use a foam roller to relieve back pain from studying all day

I’ve been sitting at my desk a lot over the last few weeks. I’m trying to ease back into a more structured study routine as I prep for the start of classes next month. Unfortunately, all the sitting has made my legs and back pretty stiff. So I’ve started using a foam roller to ease the discomfort. I’m quite surprised at how much it’s helped so I thought I’d share how to use a foam roller and the one that I’m using.

1. What’s a foam roller and what’s it used for?

A foam roller is a light weight cylinder used to massage your muscles and relieve knots and stiffness. In turn, this can reduce pain and improve flexibility.

Most of us sit for a large chunk of the day, whether we’re studying or at work. This causes the muscles in our upper thighs, known as the hip flexors, to become really tight. In turn, this often leads to back pain since the hip flexors attach to our spine in the lower back. (It would have been nice to learn this during our musculoskeletal block).

Using a foam roller with the correct exercises can loosen those tight muscles and relieve back pain.

2. How to use a foam roller

I got this high density foam roller from Amazon.

Some getting used to

In my excitement, as soon as I got the foam roller, I started using it without checking for the correct exercises. Then I watched this video and realized that I shouldn’t use the foam roller directly on my lower back. Instead, I learned alternative movements that can help posture and keep my back in good shape.

I’ve been using the foam roller on my mid-back, the sides of my lower back, and the front and back of my thighs. On the first few days, it kind of hurt to use the roller, especially on my legs. I was using the textured side to get a deeper massage.

My muscles felt tender, especially my quads. You know the feeling when you’re getting a massage and the therapist first applies pressure? You sort of hold your breath because it hurts and without fail, the therapist says “oh yeah, you have a lot of knots.” It was pretty much that feeling.

Which really surprised me because I was using the foam roller AFTER the cooldown stretches at the end of my workout. And I usually don’t skip warmups or cooldowns. So I thought those 5-10 minutes of stretching 4-5 times every week kept my muscles loose and relaxed.

Little did I know my muscles were still very tight and knotted, and that it would take foam rolling with targeted exercises to help.

And then the relief

By the third or fourth day, I noticed that foam rolling didn’t hurt as much. And my legs felt good.

However, I didn’t realize how much foam rolling was helping until I stopped. About 2 weeks ago, there were a couple days I wasn’t working out or using the foam roller. Instead, I was sitting for several hours in front of my laptop working each day.

After 3-4 days like this, I was able to get back into my workout routine. Immediately, I noticed that my range of movement was different. It was limited. At one point, I had to do a slow, high kick movement and I could barely get my leg up 2/3 of the way that I normally can.

I struggled through the workout and then used the foam roller on my legs. (In hindsight, I should have just paused the workout to use the foam roller rather than wait until the end.) I did about 10 rolls back and forth for each quad and hamstring. My muscles hurt, like the first time I tried foam rolling. I think those few days of inactivity plus lots of sitting were enough to make the muscles stiff.

As soon as I finished, I tried the slow, high kick movement from earlier. And much to my amazement, I was back to my usual range of motion. I easily raised my legs to the height I normally can, without any strain. I was pleasantly surprised.

3. The HIMU high density foam roller

This foam roller is part of my (mostly) daily routine now. At the very least, I make sure to use it after working out. And I’m definitely taking it to the island with me.

I like that this roller is small so it’s easy to store away, and will be easy to pack. Because it’s high density, I can really target my muscles and get a good massage. And it seems durable so it should last me several years. I just wish I had this during my first term, when I was sitting for practically the entire day for many days on end. That’s probably why my hip flexors were so tight.

I’ve also realized that the resistance bands that come with the roller are the perfect bonus for me. Unfortunately, I can’t take my weights when I move to the island. This has been worrying me because I don’t want to lose the (small) strength I’ve (finally) gained lol.

The resistance bands are a good work-around. They’re small and easy to pack. Plus I’ll be able to continue strength training while I’m away. In fact, the resistance bands are great for anyone who wants to start strength training but doesn’t have the space and/or budget for a bunch of different weights, which can get quite pricey.

Final thoughts…

Whether you’re sitting all day to study or work, I highly recommend getting a high density foam roller. After my experience, I’ve realized that just stretching might not be enough to overcome the hours of sitting in our mostly sedentary lifestyles.

What do you do to avoid stiffness and pain from sitting all day? If you try the foam roller, please share how it works out for you!

-M

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