Learn to Foam Roll

This spring I will be offering 3 new classes through Howard County Rec and Parks. All three will involve the newest toys inside our closet at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center in Glenwood. Yes! You guessed it: foam rollers. (Not pictured!)

Beginning on April 17, 2017, Yoga Fusion will debut on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:45-5:30pm. (You can register for one or both days.) Yoga Fusion will blend four healing modalities into each 45-minute class: yoga asanas, qi gong exercises, deep breathing, and foam rolling. Foam rolling is a form of self-massage. Using the roller, we will massage both the muscles and the fascia--the strong, connective tissue that surrounds the muscles. The result: deeper relaxation, reduced tension, fewer aches and pains. Once the muscles are relaxed, we will gently stretch them. Deep breathing will aid in the process of relaxing and reducing stress. You will leave class feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Yoga Fusion is the perfect gentle warm-up and preparation for Fit Jam Cardio Party, which begins on both Mondays and Thursdays immediately after Yoga Fusion, at 5:45pm. Why not sign up for both?

In addition, Foam Roll and Stretch will be offered on Fridays from 11-11:45am. This class will be very similar to Yoga Fusion, but with a stronger emphasis on stretching. While Yoga Fusion will be a perfect warm-up, Foam Roll and Stretch will be more of a cool-down. We will end this class with deep relaxation. Foam Roll and Stretch follows Fit Jam Fire and Spice, and offers a perfect way to slow down, stretch out, and relax after this very challenging workout!

If you have never used a foam roller in your life, this is not a problem. The purpose of these classes is to teach you how to approach these round, padded cylinders. The benefits of foam rolling include everything I've already mentioned, plus you will receive an upper body and core strengthening workout while you roll. Different body parts (fronts, backs, sides of the thigh, calves, glutes, hips, and back) are placed on the foam roller. The body weight is partly supported on the hands and arms, building upper body strength while you roll. The core muscles are used to control the rolling of the body, helping you to roll smoothly and slowly, in order to get the most out of your self-massage.

As I already mentioned, Rec and Parks has purchased the foam rollers for this class, so you can experiment with this practice and see if you enjoy it. I hope you join me for one or all of these brand new classes!