Top 5 Reasons to Use a Foam Roller

Have you spotted somebody using a foam roller at your gym? Or maybe you’ve tried it yourself, not quite sure if you’re doing it right or why you’re doing it in the first place? Chances are, if you’re exercising regularly you can benefit from using a foam roller!

Top 5 Reasons to Use a Foam Roller

Increased blood flow to your muscles, which improves delivery of oxygen during your workout.
Helps to relieve muscle tension, especially after a hard workout.
You can control how much pressure you apply to the area, which means you can really focus on areas that are sore and need more work.
Increased range of motion. The action of foam rolling can help to stretch out and lengthen your muscles, which can help you get more out of your workout.
Decrease recovery time. Foam rolling can help with muscle repair so you aren’t left feeling as sore and sorry the next day.

Bonus reason to use a foam roller…

It can help to reduce cellulite! Improved blood flow can also help with the removal of toxins from your muscles, meaning that foam rolling may help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

But what exactly is foam rolling?

Foam rolling, also called “Self-Myofascial Release”, is simply self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. It is done by applying pressure to specific points on your body. Through foam rolling, you are able to aid in the recovery of muscles and assist in returning them to normal function – muscles that are elastic, healthy and ready to perform at a moment’s notice.

Muscle tightness and trigger points will cause pain, and these trigger points are generally knots that form in muscles. Foam rolling can assist in breaking up these muscle knots, resuming normal blood flow and restore healthy muscle tissue. By breaking up knots in muscles, you are helping to reestablish proper movement patterns and pain free movement. Utilizing stretching alone is not always enough to release muscles tightness, which is why foam rollers have thrived on the mass market. Imagine a bungee cord with a knot tied into it and then envision stretching the cord. This creates tension, stretching the unknotted portion of the muscle and the attachment points. The knot, however, has remained unaltered.

When rolling or working on tight/sore muscles you will experience slight discomfort or pain. It should be uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when you are done it should feel better. The great thing about foam rollers is that since you are in control, you can work in precise areas with the correct amount of pressure that feels right for you. Definitely a perk over traditional massage!

To foam roll properly, apply moderate pressure to a specific muscle or muscle group using the roller and your bodyweight. You should roll slowly, no more than one inch per second. When you find areas that are tight or painful, pause for several seconds and relax as much as possible. You should slowly start to feel the muscle releasing, and after 5-30 seconds the discomfort or pain should lessen.

If an area is too painful to apply direct pressure, shift the roller and apply pressure on the surrounding area and gradually work to loosen the entire area. The goal is to restore healthy muscles – it is not a pain tolerance test.

You may be sore the next day. It should feel as if your muscles have been worked/released, however you should not push yourself to the point of excessive soreness. Drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and eat clean. This will help to flush your system and fuel your muscles more effectively. Give it 24-48 hours before focusing on the same area again.

Pick up a foam roller today by clicking here!