This Exercise Corrects Posture And Builds Core Strength

If you’ve been working with me for a minute, you know stretched is all well and good, but really it’s strength work that keeps us pain free long term.

I looooove foam rolling. It’s uncomfortable, for sure, but regularly rolling with a roller or a massage ball can drastically improve your mobility. If you’re someone who regularly gets massages and foam rolls diligently, but still has major back tightness, it may be because your fitness routine isn’t targeting your postural muscles. See, stretching and release work are invaluable because they manage symptoms, but the root of the problem is most likely weakness.

Without proper core strength and breathing technique, all the back massages in the world aren’t going to keep you feeling good.

You’re busy, I get it! I have a secret weapon core exercise that performs triple duty- because we don’t have all day to fit in all the meditation, fitness, release work, sageing, journaling, water drinking, food prepping that the wellness industry keeps pushing on us.

How To Strengthen Your Core And Release Back Pain

1) Place a foam roller sideways, perpendicular to your body and lay down on your back with your knees bent and feet planted flat on the floor with your back ribs down on top of the roller.

2) Interlock the fingertips behind the head, and press your head into your hands to keep the neck from overworking, and take a few deep breaths allowing the core to stretch and lengthen (chances are you were slumped over in that all too familiar screen time posture before reading this).

3) As you exhale, keeping the head heavy in the hands, curl your head and chest up into a “crunch” position. Slide the bottom ribs toward to tops of your hips and wrap the ribs together. Inhale to lower your head and chest back to the start position. To make this harder, as you curl up, lift the right leg to tabletop, and lower the leg simultaneously with the head and chest. Repeat on the second side, continuing to alternate for 10-15x each side.

Where my kinesthetic learners at?? Here’s a video for you to follow along!

Why Is This Exercise So Effective At Both Releasing Back Pain and Strengthening The Core

The very start position, with your head and chest draped over the roller, allows the core and chest to release, muscles that are often chronically gripped because of poor posture- and a tight muscle is a weak one! As you curl up, not only are you contracting your core muscles to lift your head and chest off the floor, the pressure you place into the roller on your thoracic spine helps to massage and relieve and tension along the upper back. Breathing deeply throughout helps to improve rib-cage mobility and core tone overall! Is this your new fav exercise or what?

For more core workouts check out the Core Control Collection and to improve your posture work through the Proud Posture Collection over on Helen Phelan Studio- which is free.99 for your first 10 days!