Summer is upon us, but it’s not too late to get in summer shape. My secret weapon is the foam roller.
In this simple workout, we’ll use the roller to narrow and slim down your thighs, elongating your legs for that long and lean, sculpted look. We’ll smooth out, regenerate, and reduce the heaviness, bulkiness, and tension in the thighs (this might sound familiar to you high-impact cardio devotees out there). This sequence will help you create balanced and uniform 3-D development of the leg muscles, hitting the front, back, and inner thighs.
And because the roller helps flush out toxins and hydrate your connective tissue (or fascia), it will also help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
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Goddess roll
Come down to your forearms with your belly facing the mat. Place the roller under your hips, with your feet together and knees wide. Push up to your hands so your arms are straight (but not locked). Keep your belly engaged to prevent overarching your lower back.
Exhale as you roll all the way down to the tops of your knees.
Inhale as you slowly roll up to your pubic bone attachment.
Repeat this motion eight times on each side.
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Hamstring roll
Sit on your mat and place the roller beneath your hamstrings.
Place your hands behind you with fingertips pointing in toward your body. Press your hands into the mat to lift your bottom off the floor.
Continue pressing your hands into the mat and engage your core to rock yourself forward and backward, pushing the roller up and down the hamstrings, from just under the bones at the base of your pelvis that you sit on to just above the knee. Breath deeply, exhaling as you move forward and inhaling as you move backward.
Repeat this motion eight times on each side.
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Inner thigh roll
Come down to your forearms with your torso facing the mat, and place the roller under your right upper inner thigh. (To do this you will need to bend your right knee up and out to the side and place the foam roller up and under your groin.)
Taking care to keep your upper body square to the ground as you move, use your forearms and left leg to power the motion as you roll the roller out toward the knee (stopping just above it), and back up again.
Repeat this motion eight times on each side.
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Extra slim-and-sexy legs bonus:
Try dry brushing! It’s been around since ancient times, though it’s been surging in popularity lately as many supermodels claim it as their beauty secret weapon to stay lean and cellulite free. The idea is to get the circulation going, effectively “tightening” the skin by stimulating it with a vigorous rub, using either a brush or dry brushing gloves before a bath or shower. Always brush toward your heart and rub each limb and your torso for about 30 seconds. It also helps exfoliate any dry skin to help you get glowing.
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Lauren Roxburgh is a structural integrative specialist. She’s the author of the best-selling book “Taller, Slimmer, Younger: 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique.”
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