Have you been in our space recently, seeing us rolling around the turf like children on the playground and thought, “Why is everyone rolling? How is rolling a type of exercise?”
Rolling is a life skill that never expires, like skipping. The Elevate team has all individually utilized rolling and is here to let you know why they love rolling and how you too can benefit from some rolling!
Coach Ryan, king of the kettlebell, uses rolling drills to perfect his Turkish get-up. By using your own bodyweight to roll on the floor, we teach the body how to get off of the ground properly. Ask Ryan to show off his skill of getting off of the ground while holding a kettlebell overhead next time you’re in the space!
Coach Zack enjoys incorporating rolling variations on the floor for his clients during their warmup with the intention of addressing mobility in the hips and shoulders, while creating healthy movement in the spine. He says, “I observe that when clients move amongst the floor, it exposes their body to many different shapes and positions than they experience on a typical day.”
Coach Gianna and Hector enjoy the play aspect of rolling; experimenting with the body to tap into the nostalgia of being a kid while also improving mobility. As a dad, Hector is always observing his kids play and figure out movement, and the log roll is a constant in the Bones family.
As a pet mama, Gianna loves watching her animals often rolling in various ways to move their body into different positions, you’d be surprised at how great hamsters are at rolling!
Coach Kevin enjoys the fun that accompanies rolling. He frequently uses lateral rolling from side to side in his movement prep to improve movement of the scapula and control of the ribcage and pelvis.
Elevate’s newest addition, Emma Collier PT, DPT, refers to rolling as a moving meditation that regulates the nervous system. She says, “Rolling can help reduce overall tone or tension of the body, specifically muscles of the lower back and core, which will the make us more successful to walk and lift weights.” Rolling can be done easily at home, especially if the body is sore, in pain, or stressed. Emma’s favorite roll is the segmental side-to-side roll!
Interested in reading more on rolling?
Check out this article from Seth Oberst PT, DPT on rolling and well-controlled movement preparation.