What's So Great About Foam Rolling?
Whether you’ve seen someone at the track laying on one of these, or you’ve walked past them, completely neglected in the corner of a gym, chances are you’ve seen or at least heard of foam rollers. But what are they? These giant cylinders made of foam are a tool that can and should be used on a regular basis. After just a few minutes of rolling, your body will already begin to experience massage-like benefits.
So, What is Foam Rolling?
Foam rolling refers to gliding your body along a cylindrical piece of foam. This foam can range from smooth and soft to firm and textured. Regardless of the type, all foam rollers accomplish the same general task: loosening up tight muscles.
During exercise, our muscle fibers undergo trauma which results in adhesions within our muscles. This may sound scary, but rest assured, it’s completely normal and all part of the process. This trauma appears on a micronized (very, very tiny) level and results in tight, sore, or ‘knotted’ muscles. While we may be prone to ‘sleeping it off,’ we can actually speed up the healing process by getting ahead of the game and foam rolling.
How do you use a foam roller?
It can be hard to figure out exactly how to contort your body into the perfect foam rolling position, but once you’ve experimented a couple times, you’ll be able to tell what feels good and what doesn’t, or what areas are a bit tighter and need some extra attention.
For muscles on the front of your body, such as your quads or abdominals, lay in a plank pose and place the roller between the muscle that you would like to roll and the floor. Gently move your body so that you roll from one end of said muscle to the other. Both you and the roller should be moving simultaneously. For rolling your hamstrings or back, sit or lay on the roller and repeat the same back and forth motion. Each muscle targeted should receive 8 to 12 passes of the roller. For harder to reach places, or for ease of movement, you can also try rolling against a wall rather than on the floor.
what are the benefits of foam rolling?
1. Decreased muscular fatigue Many of us enjoy the post-exercise soreness that we feel in our muscles, but, as the saying goes, too much of one thing is not a good thing. Remember, this soreness is the result of small adhesions in our muscles. We want to help them get back to normal, rather than ignore them and let them get worse. Rolling after a workout will help break up these adhesions and in turn will decrease the tightness/fatigue we feel after a workout. Just think, the sooner our muscles are back to ‘normal,’ the sooner we can workout again.
2. Increased range of motion (ROM) Foam rolling has been proven to significantly increase ROM in major joints like the hips and knees. Increased ROM can ease daily movements and ensure we maintain proper form when exercising. This, in turn, will greatly reduce our chances of injury.
3. It’s better than static stretching Unlike static stretching, foam rolling has no negative effects on power and strength when performed before exercise. Foam rolling provides us with a gentle release and its dynamic nature allows for blood flow which in turn begins heating up our muscles. This is a great way to gently ease into a workout. Static stretching is great for after exercise, but this is the only time it should be performed. Foam rolling, on the other hand, can be performed at any time of day and doesn’t need to be preceded by a general (cardiovascular) warmup.
Take away
Whether you’re new to exercise, or a fitness fanatic, you work out to stay healthy. One of the best ways to help your muscles maintain their health is to foam roll on a regular basis. Just five minutes a day can make a world of difference. So, next time you see one sitting out, take it for a spin! You’ll thank me later!
Citations
Behara, Brandon; Jacobson, Bert H. Acute Effects of Deep Tissue Foam Rolling and Dynamic Stretching on Muscular Strength, Power, and Flexibility in Division I Linemen, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: April 2017 – Volume 31 – Issue 4 – p 888-892 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001051