What is Foam Rolling ?
What is foam rolling?
Truth is, you’ve probably seen them laying around at the facility you exercise at, in the gym or even at the store. Foam rollers are common in the exercise world and help you recover from strength and conditioning training.
Foam rolling is a self massage technique used as a cool down to help you feel looser and more relaxed. It is recommended to use self-massage at the end of your workout as it relaxes you and therefore helps you transition from intense activity to more normal activity. Some people may use it at the beginning as “pre-warm up” before moving into a dynamic warm up. This approach is fine if you prefer it.
Why and when should I use a foam roller?
The by-products of exercising at a high intensity create micro-damage and waste production in your muscles (where muscle soreness comes from). A cool down allows the body to flush away the by-products from your muscles into your bloodstream.
A foam roller is used for the management of muscle tightness. If you’re looking to increase your flexibility, it is recommended to do static type stretching to increase the length of the muscle.
Foam rolling can be used on the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves, adductors, abductors and back muscles with the proper technique to reduce the risk of injury.
Benefits of foam rolling
- Releases tight muscles (myofascial release)
- Improves circulation
- Injury prevention
- Improves flexibility and range of motion
- Reduces muscle soreness
- Rehabilitation after exercise
- Breaks up oxygenated fibers
- Helps move oxygenated blood into muscles
If you believe you could benefit from foam rolling after reading this blog, call us at 473-7064 and we will teach you how to use a foam roller properly so you can reduce your muscle tightness.
Britt