HOW TO USE A FOAM ROLLER?

HOW TO USE A FOAM ROLLER?

Picking a Roller

Foam rollers come in many different types – you will find that there are variations in size, densities and hardness. Some are made of dense foam, while others use soft materials. It’s best to choose a soft foam roller if you are new to foam rolling. In particular, avoid any foam roller which has large protrusions designed to increase the pressure placed on muscle tissue – though you can certainly try these out when you are completely comfortable with simple methods of foam rolling.

For the harder to reach areas, like the gluteal region, hip capsule or the sole of the foot, you’ll probably find it better to use a lacrosse ball (or a soft tennis ball) to start instead of a foam roller.

When to Roll?

There are mixed opinions from the experts about the optimum time to use your foam roller. Certainly in many CrossFit boxes and other gyms, foam rolling is commonly used as a warm up before exercise. However, there is a lot of good evidence to suggest that foam rolling does not improve athletic performance when used as a warm up (2) and it might even decrease power output when used in this way (3).

By contrast, there is a lot of evidence suggesting that performing foam rolling after a workout is highly beneficial. Research shows that foam rolling can lead to a reduction in recovery time – for example, reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (4), which means you can get back to exercising in a shorter time.

Even if you are not exercising daily, using a foam roller once a day can be used to perform everyday maintenance on your body, which will keep you healthy – in particular counteracting the shortening of muscles that occurs through extended periods sitting on chairs.

How to Roll?

It’s difficult to provide precise detail of how to target particular muscle groups with your foam roller, but there are many resources available online. Our website is a great place to start if you are looking at targeting a specific region of your body. Here though are some top tips for foam rolling, which you should always keep in mind before starting any regime.

1. Go Slow

Though it may feel more comfortable, or less painful to quickly roll over a muscle, a brisk movement doesn’t give enough time for your nervous system to relax the muscle. The key to successful foam rolling is to go slowly. That way you will get maximum benefits.

2. Never Roll Across a Joint

One of the most important things to remember when foam rolling is to not to roll over a joint, as this can cause hyperextension of the joint, which can result in injury.

3. Keep Breathing

One of the most important aspects of successful foam rolling is good breathing. Though sometimes foam rolling can be rather painful (discomfort will reduce with frequency), holding your breath causes unnecessary muscle tension, making it harder to reach the trigger points that are causing problems.

4. Repetition is Key

The key to foam rolling success is repeat exposure. The more times you roll a particular muscle group, the less painful the experience and the more benefits you will see. Carry it out at least once or twice a week.

5. Don’t Roll Your Lower Back

Despite what you may see other people doing in the gym, rolling your lower back can do more harm than good. It creates a lot of potentially damaging pressure in and around the large lumbar discs and vertebrae of that part of your double-S shaped spine. The cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper back) are more flexible than your lower back, so it’s okay to roll these out, but you should only ever use very gentle pressure.

More details and choice at www.matfoam.com