Foam rolling for muscle health

28 October

Foam rolling for muscle health

Most of you will have heard of foam rolling but what is it?

Much the same as massage, foam rolling (or self-myofascial release) uses deep muscle compression on a specific area to reduce / eliminate muscle knots and tension, and helps to restore the muscle back to its original length. The application of pressure causes nerves to relax, muscle fibres to loosen and increases blood flow to the area, which all helps the muscle to recover back to its original state.

It is a form of self-massage that you can perform yourself to help improve tissue quality, and when done correctly we have found it to be a great tool for increasing mobility and flexibility in problem / tight areas. It makes muscles and stiff areas feel much better!

How to roll

You can roll pretty much any muscle group and the technique is simple. All you do is slowly roll along the length of the muscle.

Complete 10 slow & control rolls, then go back to any point along the muscle that was particularly tender and pause, holding pressure for 30seconds in that specific area. At first only apply as much pressure as you can bear. It’s worth noting that this will feel uncomfortable but this will fade over the next few weeks as you roll more frequently.

Don’ts

There are a few things to avoid when foam rolling:

  • Do not roll over any joint e.g. when rolling your quads, only roll between the top of the thigh and just above the knee
  • Do not roll over any bruising of any kind
  • Do not roll over cuts / scraps / open wounds
  • Do not roll over injuries (e.g. fractured bones / dead leg from contact sport)
  • Do not roll the neck – leave this for the massage therapist
  • Do not roll calves (for women who are pregnant)

We suggest starting with major muscle groups that tend to be tight for everyone – glutes (bum), quads & IT band, hamstring and upper back.

When to Roll

Whenever you can! The best results with any foam rolling work is to be consistent – there are no rules, so long as you do it. Use a foam roller on any muscle area you feel tight and in need of massage.

As a rule, aim to roll problem areas (e.g. you may have very tight calves) on a daily basis.

With our clients, we add in some ‘problem area’ rolling at the start of the session (3mins), which is specific to the individual. Any rolling after the session will often focus on areas we worked within the sessions. Our clients are also given homework which will include rolling work on their specific problem areas.

 

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