You wouldn’t think we’d need to practice rolling over. About the only time we do it any more is getting out of bed. And besides, didn’t we figure that out before we even learned to walk? Rolling over is the first step in the human movement progression and there are still a lot of great reasons to practice it.
Why Practice Rolling Over?
Rolling over teaches us to stabilize our cores and to use our bodies as an integrated whole. Using our leg for momentum works on hip mobility and using our arm for momentum works on shoulder mobility. By doing these movements slowly with control we can actually gain a lot of control over our bodies. It’s often beneficial to examine these foundational movements.
It’s not uncommon to overestimate our movement ability. When I perform movements like rolling over I almost always find something sticky that isn’t moving as it should. This also makes a great movement for part of a comprehensive warm-up!
