SPRI Foam Rollers Review

To the Point

In Pilates class you may use foam rollers. They are an excellent way to work your core muscles.

A Closer View

Pilates (pronounced puh-LAH-teez) is something like a cross between yoga, stretching and calisthenics.

Pilates:
Enhances body alignment
Strengthens the abs, back and stabilizer muscles
Stretches, strengthens and relaxes your body
When modified, is gentle enough for pregnant women, yet challenging enough for advanced exercisers.
Incorporates exercises that target your abs, back and legs, making your body strong and flexible.

Pilates is a body mind exercise system developed by Joseph Hubertus Pilates approximately 80 years ago.

While Pilates helps with flexibility, posture and strength, it isn't much of a cardio or strength training workout, so it should be an add-on to a regular routine.

What makes Pilates different from Yoga is that it's more dynamic. In many moves, you hold your torso in place while moving your limbs in different directions, which challenges your balance, core strength, stability and flexibility

Foam Rollers come in a variety of lengths and widths. They are really an effective (Though I disagree about the simpleness of their use as stated by the website.) tool for developing those core stabilization muscles (transverse), body balance and awareness and strength.
The foam rollers come in half widths and full widths. If you are just beginning you definitely want to start with the ½ width. Using the full widths are difficult and you must build up to the point of being comfortable on them in whatever exercise you are doing.

The half round come in 12” lengths with a width of 4” (but it ½ of a round so the 4” is across not the diameter) and 6” both in lengths of 12”. These will cost you $7.50 and $7.95. They also come in lengths of 36” with widths of 4” and 6.” These cost $10.50 and $11.50 each.

The length you choose depends on your height. I use a 4” long round roller because most of what I do doesn’t require me to be lying on it entirely. If that were true, since I am 5’4” I would want the 6” roller.

Most challenging round roller; more is half round roller with flat side up and less challenging is ½ round roller, flat side down. Using the ½ width (or flat as they are also called) with the flat side down is the easier way to use these rollers and this is how you will start. You then progress to the ½ round roller but with the flat side up. The most challenging is the round roller.

For the full round foam rollers you will pay $7.50 for a 12” long, 4” wide round roller; the 12” long and 6” wide will cost you $7.95. The 36” long 4” wide round roller will cost you $15.95 and the 36” long and 6” wide will cost you $16.95.

You can also buy kits. A Foam Roller kit with full rollers includes four rollers and costs $43.35. The half round rollers cost $33.35 for a set of 4. You get one free instruction sheet with each order. They can be ordered at www.spri.com

When in class I do whatever the instructor tells us to do. Be aware that everything can be modified. There are some exercises that hurt my wrists. Pain is normal after some of these exercises but if the pain lasts for more than a few hours and certainly more than a day you want to modify the exercise You can do this in a couple of ways. One you can make a fist if the exercise calls for putting weight on your wrist. Another technique is to use dumbbells to hold onto if you are using the rollers under your feet. The dumbbells take some of the pressure of your wrist. If the pain continues, do not do any exercise that involves the joint that is hurting.

There are both lengthening and strengthening exercises in Pilates. You would be surprised how much longer you can make your body when you have your mind working! In general and at home you will do 1 set of 3-5 repetitions of each lengthening exercise selected. When doing a strengthening exercise you want to hold the end point for 1-2 seconds. .

An exercise

Lie down on it. I know that sounds impossible but it isn’t. Your head should be on the roller so scoot up until it is at the end. The bottom half of you doesn’t have to be on it. Laying with your legs straight out and your hands on the floor you will be fine. You will steady your body on the Foam Roller with your hands. What you want to do is find your balance and lift your arms off the floor. Try this even if it is only for a second or less. You will gradually build up. You will find that you will automatically be using your transverse muscles which is why this exercise is so good plus enhancing balance. However as will everything in Pilates your transverse muscles should be pulled in the entire time you are working. You will get much better results if you work Pilates correctly.

You'll get an instruction sheet at www.spriproducts.com.

Jo's Viewpoint

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