Healthy back with a towel roller: exercises for the spine

Exercises with a roller for the spine were first used in Japan. They have a good effect on the spine and back muscles and eliminate all excess in the stomach. They do not require any expensive equipment, but the result is no worse than with physical therapy and traction of the support column.

The essence of the technique

The method of treating back pain was invented by a doctor from Japan, Toshi Fukutji, who studied spinal problems for 10 years. He tested this method on his patients and came to the conclusion that with age, people's body structure changes due to divergence of the ribs and pelvis, and problems such as kyphosis and poor posture are associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

He found a solution to these problems by returning the ribs and hips to their original position using a back roller. It has been established that the discrepancy of the bones directly affects pain in the back and cervical region; it also affects the increase in body volume, and returning them to their previous position leads to weight loss in the body as a whole.

For example:

• the waist decreases;
• chest rises;
• excess weight goes away;
• posture improves.

The essence of the method is statistical stretching of the vertebrae using a roller, aimed at strengthening and restoring blood circulation in the spinal column. How to lie on a towel roll for your back is described in Fukutsuji’s book called “Lose weight while lying down.”

Indications and contraindications

Doctors recommend using a back bolster for problems with the cervical and lumbar regions.

This method has a number of indications:

• initial form of intervertebral hernia;
• various scoliosis;
• osteochondrosis, arthrosis, radiculitis;
• rachiocampsis;
• slouch;
• pinched nerves;
• migraine;
• weakening of the back muscles;
• overweight;
• bad dream.

In addition to the extensive list of indications for using a bolster under the back, this method also has contraindications. That is why, if you have serious problems, it is recommended to first consult with a specialist in this field. If you have at least 1 of the diagnoses listed below, the use of a roller is undesirable.

Contraindications:

• acute back pain;
• high blood pressure;
• heat;
• osteoporosis;
• various fractures;
• sprains and tears in the groin area;
• cracks in the spine;
• pregnancy and postpartum period 1 year;
• oncological diseases;
• bleeding.

If no contraindications are found, but when performing exercises with a roller you feel unwell in the form of pain or dizziness, you should immediately stop the exercise and reduce the time interval for performing it to 30 seconds. In the future, it is recommended to increase the time, but gradually, paying attention to your well-being.

How to choose a massage roll?

There are a variety of rollers on sale: long and short (from 30 to 100 cm), hard and soft, smooth and with relief. Which one to choose depends on the goal. It is better to choose a textured roller for the leg muscles, and a smooth one for the back. The protrusions on the roller can put painful pressure on the vertebrae if the exercises are performed incorrectly; a smooth roller is safer in this regard. The choice of rigidity is individual. In most cases, it’s better not to start with the hardest one; if over time the roller seems too soft to you, move on to a more aggressive one. We started straight away with a hard one, gradually the muscles became more elastic and the pain during the massage went away.

Making a roller

Currently, such rollers are easy to purchase in specialized stores. They differ in their internal content, but their essence remains the same. Anyone can make a roller on their own.

Here's what you'll need:

• medium-sized terry towel;
• rope for fastening, can be replaced with elastic bands.

The manufacturing method is simple:

• It is necessary to twist the towel into an elastic roll; it must be at least 10 cm in diameter.
• To increase the load on the spine, you need to increase its size.
• To enlarge, you can use improvised means.
• You need to twist the towel quite tightly to make the roll sufficiently rigid.
• At stage 2, you will need material to fix the resulting roller. For these purposes, use elastic bands or rope, which is recommended to be secured along the entire length of the roller.

Expert advice

It is important to know how to lie on a towel roll for your back to get positive dynamics.

There are several important nuances:

• The lesson must be carried out on a solid surface. It is best on the floor or a special couch. It is strictly not recommended to carry out exercises on a soft plane; the effect will be completely lost.

  
  The photo shows how to lie on a towel roll for your back. You need a hard surface and proper body positioning.

• The roller must be placed under the navel. You can check its location by running your hands from the navel to the sides, where you can reach the towel.
• The legs need to be slightly separated from each other and their big toes should be brought together until they touch. In this position, the pelvic bones find their natural location.
• For convenience, for beginners in the first lessons, you can use an elastic band to hold your big toes together.
• Straightened arms should be moved behind the head and touching with the little fingers. Palms should face down. This pose stretches the spine and hip joint.
• After the lesson, it is recommended to slowly lie down on either side, remove the cushion and remain in this position for some time. This is necessary for the joints to fall into place and to avoid complications. After resting, you need to sit on your knees and slowly rise.
• The effectiveness of this method depends on its regularity. It functions as a cumulative effect. You need to devote at least 5 minutes to this exercise. in a day.

Basics of proper exercise

Exercises will give positive results only if they are performed correctly. The main recommendations to consider are the following:

• You need to consult a doctor and clarify contraindications.
• Classes should be daily. Their time increases gradually.
• As the muscles become stronger, the roller should be made larger.
• Breathe correctly. You need to inhale and exhale measuredly and deeply.

After completing the exercise, you should not suddenly stand up, sit down, or begin any other activity. Let your muscles relax, turn to the side, lie down, smoothly and carefully bend and straighten your arms and legs. You can get up after 10 minutes, first on your knees, and then to your full height.

If the goal of your exercise is to lose belly fat, supplement it with PP and other activities.

Weight loss

A back towel roll for lying exercises helps you lose weight without exercise.

Losing weight with its help consists of 2 stages:

• It is recommended to perform the exercise on the floor; you can lay a gymnastic mat. It is necessary to prepare the roller in advance; it must be quite rigid. You should lie down on it carefully; you need to pay attention to the location of the cushion under your back: it should be exactly in the navel area. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, with your big toes together. For convenience, at first you can fasten your fingers together with an elastic band. Press the palms of your outstretched arms to the floor in a position behind your head.
• After staying in the pose from the first stage is not difficult and there is no discomfort, you need to move on to stage 2. For this purpose, it is necessary to move the roller to the hypochondrium and thoracic region. In this position, the back muscles work and the ligaments become toned.

As a result of these procedures, the abdominal area is tightened and the waist becomes more defined. The effect of a bloated stomach goes away. The key to the success and operation of this method is its systematicity. For noticeable results, classes should be carried out from 2 weeks to 2 months. The table shows the location of the roller and the areas of its influence on certain points for weight loss.

What is a massage roll?

Massage roller (foam roller, massage cylinder, roller, roller, roller) is a cylinder covered with foam material of varying hardness. Used as a massager for independent deep massage of soft and connective tissues.

Fascia envelops the muscles and serves as the second, soft skeleton of the entire body. Proper muscle function and joint mobility depend on the condition of the fascia.

Massage roller. Source: Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Set of exercises

According to therapeutic findings, people may have contraindications to physical activity, which can become a problem when losing weight.

For the lower back

Exercises with a roller under the lower back are used for osteochondrosis. During the exercise, blood flow to the brain area increases and normalizes, which helps a person get rid of pain. A special set of exercises with a roller helps get rid of problems associated with degenerative changes in the lumbar region.

To do this you need:

• Roll the towel tightly, securing it with a rope or elastic band. The optimal diameter of the resulting roller should be 12-15 cm.
• It is recommended to carry out the exercise on the floor or a hard couch.
• Slowly lower yourself onto the roller so that it is located exactly under the navel area.
• Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, with your big toes touching together.
• Place your straightened arms behind your head, palms down, with your little fingers touching.
• You should remain in this position for 3 to 7 minutes. Gradually the amount of time needs to be increased.
• At the end of the exercise, you should carefully turn over on your side, pull out the roller and lie in this position for a while. This must be done to avoid displacement of the bones, because during the exercise the spine is stretched. Next you need to rise, leaning on your knees.

The important point of these exercises is regularity and repetition at the same time. The second exercise can be performed after mastering the first, when the body is completely accustomed to the load and there is no discomfort.

Performing this exercise strengthens and normalizes the work of the heart muscle, stabilizes hormone levels and increases blood circulation and lymph flow. After performing the exercise, lower back pain goes away and overall well-being improves due to a surge of strength.

To do this you need:

1. Sit on the floor with your feet pointing towards the wall.
2. Lie down slowly on the cushion. Its location should be under the lower back, relax and spread your arms to the sides, bend your elbows towards your head. The angle should be 90 degrees. Place your legs in a bent position in front of the wall.
3. Slowly raise your legs up the wall; if you can’t keep them suspended, you should lean your elbows on the wall.
4. You must remain in this position for at least 3 minutes. You need to breathe evenly and calmly.

   

5. If you feel acute tension in the lumbar region, which is accompanied by pain, you should complete the exercise, slowly lower your legs to the floor, lie on your side, remove the bolster and rest for 2-3 minutes. You need to rise gradually, from your knees and without sudden movements.

Under the shoulder blades

There is another way to use a towel roll - place it under your shoulder blades. By doing this simple exercise regularly, you can straighten your shoulders, straighten your posture, lift your chest, open your lungs, which will lead to improved breathing.

To complete this exercise you need:

1. Lie on a hard surface, place a cushion under your shoulder blades.
2. The legs should be bent at the knees and spread apart, while the feet should be connected and touch the floor.

   

3. Stretch your arms to the sides and relax.
4. You should remain in this position for more than 10 minutes, and then monitor your sensations.
5. You need to get out of this position slowly, lifting through your knees.

For the neck

Exercise with a roller under the neck helps get rid of headaches, blood circulation will return to normal, and nutrition of the cervical discs will improve. Problems with the cervical spine arise due to overexertion when the neck is in one position for a long time.

The exercise is simple; to perform it, you need to lie down on a hard surface, placing a towel roll under your neck.

The head should hang slightly. You need to slowly turn your head from side to side. The duration of the exercise is up to 2 minutes.

Japanese gymnastics for the spine

Gymnastics with a spine roller is popular in Japan for reducing waist measurements. This method is very popular because of its ease of implementation and the small amount of time required for the exercise. However, the exercise itself is aimed at restoring the spine to its natural position. This method consists of one exercise.

It will require:

1. Roll the towel into an elastic roll with a diameter of 10 cm; you need to increase its size over time to increase the load.
2. Sit on a hard surface, place a cushion under your back so that it is under your navel.
3. The feet should be at shoulder level and the big toes should be joined.
4. Stretch your arms straight back, palms down, and touch your little fingers.
5. Stay in this position for up to 5 minutes.
6. Next, you should slowly lift the body and move the roller under the ribs. Lie down for another 5 minutes.
7. When the exercise is completed, you need to turn over on your side, remove the roller and rest for 2 minutes, you need to get up slowly, without sudden movements.

It is recommended that you learn how to lie on a towel roll for your back in order to count on strengthening the spine and its alignment before starting training.

Other methods

A towel roll can be used as an expander. Its inventor was the Japanese Imbari. Exercises are a method for losing weight. To perform this, you need to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, take the towel by the edges, and pull it in front of you. You should pull the towel from one end to the other without bending your arms.

By performing this exercise, the arm muscles are tightened, the chest is lifted, and the waist becomes smaller in volume. To improve posture, use a towel taken by the edges and placed behind your back at lumbar level. With your arms outstretched, the towel should be moved away from your back to the maximum distance.

Features of Dr. Fukutsuji's method

If there is a constant violation of maintaining the body in a certain correct position, the following problems may arise:

1. A person begins to get tired quite quickly and severely due to a shift in the center of gravity.
2. Since the internal organs are constantly compressed under the weight of the entire human body, a malfunction occurs in their functioning.
3. Incorrect posture, i.e. stooping, when there is an increase in the deflection of the back in the thoracic region, is accompanied by bending the shoulders forward, tilting the head slightly down, and also protruding the abdomen forward.
4. Subsequently, constant presence of the body in this position will lead to pinched nerve endings, respectively, to osteochondrosis and unbearable pain in the spine.

It should be remembered that a person’s posture begins to develop from early childhood, so you should teach your children to hold their body correctly from an early age. In this state, there should be a raised head and chin, laid back shoulders, a tucked stomach and a flat back without an observable bend in the lumbar spine.

But if your posture is far from perfect, then you need to urgently correct this somehow. And this can be done by performing approximately 20 minutes of simple gymnastic exercises.

The main thing is to remember that the effect will only come if the training is carried out daily.

And here the Japanese method of correcting posture will come to the rescue.

The Japanese Fukutsuji technique is a unique method of posture correction that was developed in the early 2000s. Japanese doctor Fukutsuji. In his honor, this technique received its name. The Fukutsuji method is a system for developing posture that quickly gained popularity in its homeland and has received many positive reviews around the world. Since the exercises are quite simple and understandable to perform, they can be performed by anyone without leaving home.

In addition to restoring the correct shape of the hypochondrium and hip bones, the technique provokes the production of brown fat. The latter, unlike traditional white, will not be deposited in the body, but will begin to be burned. Calories are consumed, and the energy received is spent on maintaining the required body temperature. This result is caused by the structure of brown fat cells.

Duration of exercises

The listed methods using a roller are suitable for people who do not have a lot of time for sports and their health. The lesson is allocated from 5 minutes per day. Special exercises require minimal load and are easy to perform.

The decision to lie on a towel roll is usually made by people with a sedentary lifestyle. Such back exercises do not require additional costs, which allows anyone to perform them at home.

Author: Anikushina N.

Article design: Oleg Lozinsky