20 Minute Foam Roller Stretch is an excellent recovery workout from Sydney Cummings. I’ve only done Sydney’s recovery level workouts and have enjoyed them all but this one has to be one of my favorites. The workout starts with dynamic flexibility and mobility to warm you up then ends with foam rolling. There is not static stretching in this workout. You will either being doing mobility work or flowing between two stretches only holding a stretch briefly. I paired this workout with Sydney’s 20 Minute Relaxation Deep Stretch, which is now another of my favorite Sydney workouts. Paired together they are the perfect recovery day workout–especially if you have been hitting your muscles hard all week. This workout warms you up and massages your muscles then the Deep Stretch relaxes you and stretches you out as deeply as the title promises.
20 Minute Foam Roller Stretch is 22:35 minutes; 1:15 minute intro, 10 minutes of mobility and 10 minutes of foam rolling. The last minute is Sydney talking. Equipment: foam roller and fitness mat. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down your workout time.
Mobility:
- Stand with legs wider than hip width, alternate raising and lowering heels
- Stand with weight on one leg, lift the heel of the other leg and move ankle side to side; repeat on other leg
- Stand in wide split stance, lunge forward with back leg straight and front leg bent then lean back with front leg straight and back knee bent; repeat with legs swapped
- Stand with legs wide and torso hinged forward, do alternating stationary side lunges
- Wide leg forward fold, walk hands over to one side and hold foot; walk hands over to other foot and hold
- Still in wide leg forward fold walk hands through legs behind you and hold; walk hands out in front of you and hold
- Forward fold with legs together, wrap hands around calves, pull torso down toward legs then release, lifting torso slightly
- In pike or down dog with legs wider than hip width shift hips side to side
- Flow between down dog to up dog
- Deep kneeling lunge with chest arched then lift back knee off mat and straighten it pushing hips back into pyramid pose
- Repeat #10 on other side of body
- Stand, hinge forward and place hands behind thighs, arch and round back/spine then release and flatten back
- Stand and swing one arm across chest then open to side and behind you; repeat on other arm
- Swing both arms up overhead and behind you then swing them back down
- Lean head to one side bringing ear to shoulder, pull top of head gently down with hand; repeat on other side
- Reach both arms in front of you, rounding back and opening shoulder blades then reach arms out to sides opening chest
- Clasp hands behind glutes and pull down opening chest and shoulders
Foam rolling:
- Sit on mat with foam roller behind you underneath mid back, hands are behind head, lift hips off mat and roll slowly up and down spine and shoulders, finding a tender spot and holding
- Same position as #1 w/ glutes on mat, leg head fall backward, arching spine over foam roller
- Repeat #1
- Lay on one hip on mat with roam roller under lat, hands are behind head and roll side to side over the foam roller
- Repeat #4 on other side of body
- Sit on foam roller with feet on mat and hands on mat behind you, roll out glutes; shift to one side onto one glute and continue rolling until you find a tender spot and hold; repeat on other glute
- Come into forearm plank with foam roller under quads, roll out quads; hold with foam roller just above knees; roll up a few more inches and turn feet out and hold
- Same starting position as #7 but shift over so most of the weight is on one thigh and roll out the thigh; find a tender spot and hold; repeat on other leg
- Roll both quads again
- Place foam roller under hamstrings, hands on mat behind you, lift glutes off mat and cross one calf over other shin to put pressure on one hamstring, roll foam roller up and down the length of the hamstrings; find a tender spot and hold; repeat on other leg
For more info on Sidney Cummings and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
