Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) refers to muscle soreness that may linger 24-72 hours after a hard workout or when you’re making big jumps in your training volume or intensity.
Foam rolling exercises are a great way to reduce muscle soreness and increase circulation and range of motion.
Although you might feel comfortable doing self-guided foam rolling exercises, if you have a Peloton Bike, Peloton Tread, or subscription to the Peloton Digital app, you can also take Peloton foam roller classes.
The Peloton foam roller classes are guided foam rolling sessions for post-workout recovery and pre-workout warm-up.
But, what are the best Peloton foam roller classes and what do you need to do these classes? Keep reading to find out!
In this guide, we will cover:
- What Are the Best Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
- Which Peloton Foam Rolling Class Should I Take?
- What Do I Need for Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
- When Should I Do Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
Let’s get started!
What Are the Best Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
There are currently 27 Peloton foam roller classes. All but one are led by Hannah Corbin.
Hannah Corbin leads quite a number of 20-minute foam rolling classes, 15-minute foam rolling classes, and 10-minute foam rolling classes.
About half of the classes work the whole body, but there are also some great targeted foam rolling workouts that target specific muscle groups or regions of the body.
Some examples include
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Chest & Back with Hannah Corbin
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Quads & Hamstrings with Hannah Corbin
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Calves & Glutes with Hannah Corbin
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Calves
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Glutes
- 10 min Foam Rolling: Hamstrings
- 15 min Foam Rolling: Lower Body with Hannah Corbin
- 15 min Foam Rolling: Quads & Hamstrings with Hannah Corbin
- 15 min Foam Rolling: Hips with Hannah Corbin
- 20 min Foam Rolling: Calves & Glutes with Hannah Corbin
- 20 min Foam Rolling: Full Body
There is also one Peloton foam rolling class with Matt Wipers called “10 Min Foam Rolling”.
Peloton frequently adds new workouts to the library of on-demand classes because many of the live workouts end up becoming available as on-demand classes. Then, older workouts are eventually moved from the library.
Which Peloton Foam Rolling Class Should I Take?
Any of the Peloton foam rolling classes can be helpful for loosening up your muscles and improving mobility.
Most of the classes do at least some foam rolling exercises for all of the major muscle groups, although some focus on particular muscles or regions of the body.
Depending on the type of exercise you normally perform and the areas of your body that get particularly sore or tight, you may find it more helpful to choose a focused foam rolling class.
For example, if you mostly ride the Peloton bike or are a cyclist in general, the Peloton foam roller classes that focus on the quads, glutes, and hips can be especially beneficial.
These muscle groups tend to get overworked and tight when you are doing a lot of cycling.
On the other hand, if you sit at your desk most of the day and find that your upper back, shoulders, and neck get quite stiff, you might want to choose a Peloton foam roller chest and back class.
If you do a lot of running, the Peloton foam roller workouts that focus on the calves and hamstrings can be a great way to loosen up your posterior chain muscles.
Benefits of Peloton Foam Rolling Classes
There are several benefits of foam rolling in general, including the following:
- Reducing DOMS, or soreness after exercise
- Improving flexibility and increasing range of motion in tight muscles
- Reducing muscle pain and muscle tension
- Aiding in workout recovery
- Improving exercise performance
The instruction provided by Hannah Corbin gives you useful pointers for dealing with trigger points and for the best way to use a foam roller on each of the muscle groups.
Moreover, her philosophy with foam rolling workouts is that the body should be as balanced as possible.
For this reason, even when you are doing a foam roller Peloton class that focuses on just a specific muscle group, Hannah tries to make sure that the time spent on each side of the body is equal. She believes that equal attention will help make sure that you’re balanced.
Keep in mind that while DOMS or some amount of muscle soreness after cycling workouts is expected, lingering pain or pain that is isolated to a specific area of the body can be a sign of an injury.
What Do I Need for Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
It should come as no surprise that you need a foam roller to do any of the Peloton foam roller classes. The specific type of foam roller that you choose to use does not matter.
Peloton instructor Hannah Corbin suggests that beginners start out with a relatively soft foam roller because it is gentler on the body and it can take some time to get used to the “comfortably uncomfortable“ feel of foam rolling.
Getting a longer foam roller – one that is at least 24 inches, if not 36 inches – will enable you to do all of the foam roller exercises in the Peloton foam roller classes without needing to do any modifications.
However, the good news is that even if you only have a short foam roller, Hannah will provide instructions on how to modify the exercise using your equipment.
Here are the primary types of foam rollers:
Smooth foam rollers
These foam rollers are basic cylinders, generally constructed from dense foam.
Some are softer than others. Softer ones will break down more quickly but are more comfortable when you are just starting out because they provide more give.
Overall, smooth foam rollers are less intense than textured foam rollers and provide even pressure as you roll.
Textured foam rollers
Textured foam rollers have pumps, ridges, and grooves to provide concentrated pressure in certain areas.
These can be used to target trigger points and tight areas.
The textured surface can be more “aggressive“ and uncomfortable than a smooth roller, and this style tends to be more expensive.
Vibrating foam rollers
There are also some vibrating foam rollers such as the Theragun Wave Duo or the TB12 Vibrating Pliability Roller. These products combine the vibrating effects of a massage gun with a foam roller to enhance circulation, muscle relaxation, and therapeutic recovery.
You should not use a vibrating foam roller for the Peloton foam rolling workouts, however.
When Should I Do Peloton Foam Roller Classes?
There isn’t a specific time that is best to do Peloton foam roller classes in your workout routine or in terms of the time of day.
However, most people find that foam rolling is great for pre-workout mobility or post-workout recovery.
Even on rest days when you are not doing any other type of exercise, doing a quick 10-minute Peloton foam roller workout can be a great active recovery workout so that your body is all the more ready to perform the next day.
It can be helpful to establish a routine with your foam roller workouts so that it becomes a consistent practice. In general, foam rolling is most effective when it is performed habitually.
Even if you don’t have time for a full 10 or 20-minute Peloton foam roller class every day after your workout, you can implement some of the foam rolling exercises you have learned from previous foam roller classes you take on your rest days.
For example, you might take the Peloton Foam Rolling: Quads & Hamstrings 10-Minute class when you have the time, and then use some of the foam rolling techniques you learned for these muscle groups to do a quick pre-cycling foam rolling routine before doing an outdoor ride or indoor cycling workout.
