Would you believe me if I told you that for less then £20 you could significantly increase your flexibility, reduce muscle soreness, improve joint mobility and posture?
These are all benefits of regular foam rolling!
How does it work?
All of the parts of your body (muscles, organs, joints, bones, nerves etc) are encased in a web of soft tissue called ‘fascia’.
Fascia wraps in layers and folds around each structure binding everything together compactly and spreads continuously throughout the whole body joining it all up.
As I may have mentioned in several of my previous blog posts … sustained positions or activities that we repeat often through the day (e.g. sitting) encourage our soft tissues to remodel themselves. In time these changes can change our posture causing altered movement patterns and areas of accumulative strain, uneven pressure in joints and overuse of muscles. All of which can result in pain!
Changes in the fascia such as tightness and areas of localized restriction can be ‘released’ by foam rolling exercises. Foam rolling is also often used prior to a workout to increase flexibility and afterwards to reduce muscle soreness.
Tips for foam rolling:
- Apply a moderate amount of pressure using your body weight (it’s shouldn’t be a test of your endurance!).
- Roll slowly and if you find a tight or sore spot hold it for a few seconds until it relaxes. If it’s too sore, work around the area to help loosen it.
- Avoid rolling your back- use a spiked massage ball or tennis ball instead.