Foam Rolling

January 15, 2021

The Magic of Foam Rolling

Once a self-massage technique used only by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists; foam rolling is now an everyday practice for people at all levels of fitness. There’s a reason for the popularity of this self-massage technique: it’s simple, it feels so good, and it works!

What Is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is also called myofascial release. But what is fascia? And why do you want to “release” it? Fascia is the thin tissue that connects our muscles. Think of it as your body’s internal packaging, it helps muscle groups cooperate as integrated units. When it’s healthy, fascia is flexible, supple and glides smoothly over your muscles. But binding in your fascia can form for a variety of reasons, such as muscle injury, inactivity, disease, inflammation, or trauma. Even just sitting at a desk all day can get your fascia “gummed up” and stiff. Rolling over problem areas can help release that built-up tension in your fascia and re-establish the integrity (and optimal performance) of muscle tissue.

Why Should I foam roll?

· It’s a great way to warm up. Using a foam roller before exercise gets your body warmed up by increasing blood flow to the muscles you’re rolling. So, if you’re about todo a killer leg workout, you’ll benefit from rolling those quads, hamstrings, and calves.

· It’ll improve the quality of your workouts. When muscles aren’t restricted by tightness, the body can move with more ease and perform exercises correctly.

· You’ll be less sore later. Studies suggest that foam rolling after a workout can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS),meaning you’ll recover a little faster and possibly improve your performance in future workouts.

· Reduce pesky knots. Intense exercise can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). When you feel sore, you’re essentially feeling pain from micro trauma (tiny tears) in the muscle fibers. Oftentimes, as your body repairs the muscles, small knots form.Foam rolling helps align the muscle fibers and reduce discomfort as the body repairs itself.

· Flush toxins. Another way foam rolling helps alleviate soreness is by moving lactic acid and carbon dioxide — toxins built up during exercise — out of the muscles and tissues, and into the lymphatic system.

· Improve circulation. We touched on this above — foam rolling increases blood circulation, which in addition to warming your body up, helps muscles repair faster.

· Help range of motion. Your range of motion often decreases during exercise and strength training. This is because as muscles grow, they constrict and shorten during recovery. Connective tissue also thickens and tightens in an effort to protect the muscles. Foam rollers aid in the release of tension, allowing muscles to lengthen and return to their original size. This, in turn, improves range of motion.

· Can help improve appearance of cellulite. Ahhhh Cellulite, we all have it and it's totally fine. But, Cellulite is connected to taut and damaged Fascia, so maintaining healthy fascia is helpful in smoothing out some of the preventable lumps and bumps (though, they are not all preventable, some are bound to happen, so please, do not think that all cellulite is a BAD thing!!) Since the fibrous tethers that create the dimpled look of cellulite are attached to underlying fascia, if foam rolling strengthens the fascia, the skin may appear more firm.

Foam rolling can also promote lymphatic drainage and decrease fluid accumulation in areas where you have cellulite, which might make it appear smoother.

‍

Warnings?

Foam rolling is generally considered safe to do if you experience muscle tightness or regularly exercise. But avoid foam rolling if you have a serious injury such as a muscle tear or break, unless your doctor or a physical therapist has cleared you first.

Also avoid rolling over small joints like your knees, elbows, and ankles, which could cause you to hyperextend or damage them.Instead, when foam rolling your legs, roll out your calves first and then your quads separately, avoiding the knee area.

Foam rolling may help relieve tension during pregnancy. Just get cleared by your doctor first and avoid lying on your back to foam roll later in your pregnancy. You also should skip rolling out the calves in your third trimester. This may cause premature labor. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

What Foam Roller Should I Get?

I like the 36in length Foam Roller, but other than that, you really don't need anything fancy or pricey! Here is the foam Roller I use: