What is foam rolling for muscle release ?
Foam rollers are an inexpensive piece of equipment that can allow you to perform
basic myofascial release techniques yourself. This means you can relieve tight muscles or loosen those pesky muscle “knots” from the comfort of your home. Foam rolling allows you to alter the force used and the areas of focus depending on what you feel, giving you complete control over the myofascial release.
Why should you foam roll?
Foam rolling is a relatively new technique;therefore there is minimal research examining its effects. Though the studies investigating foam rolling are limited and quite small, most existing research supports
its use. Foam rolling can assist in loosening the muscle “knots” that develop through exercise and poor posture, allowing you to resume functioning and reduce pain. The deep pressure also helps relax tight muscles and break up the adhesions formed within the muscle.
How do you foam roll for muscle release?
To start foam rolling, place the foam roller on the ground, below whichever body part you choose to roll. You will then use your own body to apply pressure to your muscles using the foam roller. You can control how much pressure the foam roller applies by adjusting how much of your weight it is supporting. You will then begin to slowly roll over the target muscles. If you find an area that feels particularly tight, youcan stop rolling and apply pressure just to this point until you feel the muscle relax or for up to 30 seconds.
Where on the body should you foam roll?
You may already have an idea as to what areas of your body have muscle “knots” or feel tight or sore, so you choose to focus on these areas when foam rolling. Alternatively, may also begin by doinga general full-body foam rolling, and then you can choose to target any problemspots you find. If you are foam rolling before or after exercise you can target the muscles groups that will be or were used most in your workout. You should
never roll over joints or boney prominences, and avoid rolling along the length of your spine.
When should you foam roll?
Foam rolling can be incorporated into your existing warm-up routine. One small study demonstrated that when total-body foam rolling is added to a dynamic warm-up, participants demonstrated improvements in overall athletic performance testing. A separate study of only eight participants showed that foam rolling following a workout reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness. These studies demonstrate that foam rolling offers benefits when done before or after a workout.
If you are currently dealing with an injury and foam rolling is not helping with a muscle release, and would like to know how we can help, call or text us at 416-660-4187, or email if you prefer. You can request a free phone consultation to discuss you pain or injuries with a physiotherapist.
