Foam rolling has been gaining popularity among fitness professionals and their clients for many years. It allows you to take care of your soft tissue without the cost of a massage therapist. There are many benefits to foam rolling and it’s about time everyone took notice and made it a part of their exercise routine.
Foam rolling requires the use of a foam roller that is generally 6” thick and 36” long. Foam rollers come in different density levels. The less dense, the less pressure that will be applied to the muscle. Self massage can be painful when first starting because the fascia is tight, but over time the fascia will release. We always recommend beginning with a less dense roller and working your way up to a denser roller.
Why practice foam rolling? It will help prevent injury and improve recovery from a workout or injury. It can be done before or after a workout and takes between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. It targets areas of overuse or injury and gets the muscle/fascia to release. Basically, you’re ironing out the muscle and fascia to lie properly, which will improve range of motion and posture. Foam rolling is also going to increase blood flow to the areas you’re rolling out, so it’s great to do before you stretch. Some fitness coaches would even tell you that stretching is almost useless without rolling first.
What is the procedure for foam rolling? You’ll be rolling out all the large muscle groups in your body and will need to roll the entire length of each muscle a couple of times. When you find tight areas (called “trigger points”), spend extra time trying to get those muscles to release. You can spend up to 30 seconds on the trigger points. The focus should be on muscles and not joints. If you are really tight or sore, you can foam roll (self-massage) up to 12 times a day.
Start foam rolling today. Every home, work place and gym should have a foam roller. It is not only great for recovery, but will also give you a greater sense of well-being and relaxation.
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October 16, 2009 at 5:55 am
I was having really bad knee pain and I thought it was from my quads being too tight- for a few days I laid face down and rolled my quads round on the roller. Totally healed now- no pain at all/
November 6, 2009 at 5:12 pm
So I never had any kind of pain issues in my running career till I hit college and out of the blue got a sharp pain in the outside of my knee one day. I found out from my trainers that it was from an extremely tight IT band. The foam roller has done miracles for me. If I keep up with rolling out on a daily basis I prevent those problems from re-occurring and can continue to progress in my health and fitness!!! EVERYONE should have a foam roller!!!!
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March 25, 2010 at 1:35 pm
For relieving trigger points, I’ve found that the RumbleRoller (www.rumbleroller.com) works better than standard foam rollers and requires less rolling time. It costs more – but definitely worth it.
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August 6, 2010 at 11:22 am
Hi buddy would it be ok if we used some info from here to use on one of my sites? all the best