Nate Lawrie, a former American football tight end, played for five different NFL teams throughout his career. While recovering from back surgery after his third season in the NFL, Lawrie became an avid foam roller user to relieve pain in his lower back. In a recent interview Lawrie said that foam rolling after his surgery extended his career by five years.
In a recent article posted on CheatSheet.com, Lawrie was asked to describe five foam rolling moves he used post-surgery to extend his career.
Lawrie described the following moves:
- Back adjustment and massage – this move adjusts vertebrae, massages muscles, and releases adhesions in the fascia
- Glute massage and release – with a deep massage in this area, you can relieve tightness in the fascia and flush toxic buildup from the muscles
- Hip flexor stretch – this move is great for people who sit for long periods of time. If you sit for long periods of time, your hip flexors are going to be tight, causing your hips and lumbar spine out of alignment, therefore causing pain.
- Piriformis stretch with IT band kicker – the piriformis muscle, which connects your sacrum to your hip bone, will be loosened up and flushed after performing this move.
- Side opener stretch – this stretch is the easiest way to loosen and release myofascial adhesions in the lower back. (Plus, it’s a great way to get an oblique stretch)
Before you can perform these foam rolling exercises you will, of course, need a foam roller. You can purchase a CanDo foam roller from one of our network of dealers or directly from us.
Click here to see photos and instructions on how to perform these stretches.