We often associate foam rolling with stretching and injury prevention, but using a roller as part of your exercise routine can actually provide a number of other benefits.
“You can use a foam roller for a lot of the workout moves we do in Pilates to mimic moves that we do on the Pilates reformer,” alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh tells PEOPLE. “I also realized that a lot of the moves I was doing with my personal training clients with my hands could be mimicked on the roller. You get a double value — you get a workout, but you also get a self-massage and rehabilitation.”
Foam rolling can also help minimize the appearance of cellulite, Roxburgh says.
“Another thing people love [about foam rolling] is the lymphatic drainage benefits,” says Roxburgh, who has worked with Gwyneth Paltrow and Molly Sims. “It can help reduce cellulite and inflammation, and flush toxins. It’s like doing an internal juice cleanse when you roll out.”
The key to these benefits is the strengthening effect of foam rolling on the fascia, the connective tissue that covers the entire body. When the fascia is weak, fat protrudes through it which causes the lumpy appearance of cellulite.
“By addressing the connective tissue and bringing in fresh oxygenated blood every time you get on the roller, you’re bringing in circulation, you’re smoothing out that density and wringing out the toxins,” says Roxburgh. “Once you’ve gotten rid of the density and the thickness, the muscles are more activated underneath, and once those muscles come back to the surface, you see more of that beautiful tone.”
In order to see the cellulite-busting effects of rolling, Roxburgh says “consistency is key.” She also suggests combining foam rolling with dry brushing.
“When you dry brush it helps tremendously because you get rid of dry skin, but it also helps with the lymph system,” she explains. “I’ll dry brush and then I’ll roll out. If you keep doing that regularly you will totally see a difference.”
While foam rolling can reduce the appearance of cellulite, it won’t cure it completely, says Dr. Binh Ngo, Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Keck Hospital of USC.
“Cellulite is one of those skin conditions that’s very, very difficult to treat,” Ngo tells PEOPLE. “There’s really no cure. Foam rolling can improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, but in terms of strengthening fibrous tissues, there’s no study that points to the efficacy of this. On the surface, it may look like it’s smoothing [cellulite] out, but it won’t be a fix or a cure.”
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To get the benefits of foam rolling, try Roxburgh’s foam roller moves at home:
Benefit: Roxburgh says this move helps the body to expel fluid retention and flush toxins in the side of the hips. It also increases the flow of nutrient-rich blood to the hips and helps smooth out and regenerate the fascia in the hips where women tend to store more stress and congestion.
Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each hip rolling slow and with awareness.
Benefit: This moves helps smoothing out, self-massage, hydrate and strengthen the connective tissue and also flush out toxins and even emotional energy that can get stuck in the tush and hips, Roxburgh says.
Spend about 30 seconds on each side.
Benefit: This move helps increase circulation and boast the lymphatic system to flush toxins. Plus, it helps bring in hydration to repair and regenerate the damaged, dense, thick, congested and toxic cells in the front of the hips and thighs where women tend to have more congestion, Roxburgh says.
Spend 30 seconds to a minute on each hip rolling slow and with awareness.