Foam rolling is an essential component of recovery. It is also referred to as self-myofascial release, which is just fancy talk for deep tissue massage that you give yourself. All you need is a foam roller (mat optional).
"The benefits of foam rolling have to do with the mobility of the fascia. Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of the muscles in our body. Without proper mobility, fibers of the fascia become cross linked and they bind to muscles and nerves, inhibiting normal motion and causing pain."
The main benefits of foam rolling include:
- Increased flexibility, including increased range-of-motion (ROM).
- Improved short-term athletic performance, when included as part of the warm-up routine.
- Improved recovery post-activity, through reducing the experience of delayed-onset-of-muscular-soreness (DOMS).
The size and firmness of foam rollers varies greatly, and I prefer to use a rumble roller. It has the nobs to really dig into knots and pressure points. If you are new to foam rolling or happen to have a low tolerance for pain, then you may want to use a smooth foam roller instead.
Check out my latest video as I demonstrate how to foam roll:
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Sara
Choices Coach
