You may have heard of foam rolling or seen them in sports stores or at your gym but What is foam rolling? Ten top tips on foam rolling are below.
A foam roller is a great tool for self massage and fascial release for anyone, but is particularly convenient and beneficial for those who are doing a lot of sport or exercise.
What is a foam roller?
All it is, is a firm piece of cylindrical foam. They come in varied lengths, diameter, shape, and density. A typical foam roller is usually between 40 cm and metre in length and around 20 cm in diameter. They also come in various surfaces like ridged or noduled for aiding fascial release. They are also available in contoured shapes to get into smaller areas like the ankles or neck, and ‘rolling pin’ versions are available for use on areas like the quads or front of the body.
How does foam rolling work?
Foam rolling is a way to massage yourself and as a result, receive the benefits of deep tissue pressure and myofascial release.
Slow or sustained pressure on the roller can help release the muscle and fascia. The roller can also be used to help release trigger points, or knots, that build up in the muscle and cause local and referred pain.
Ten top tips on foam rolling
There are lots of ways to use a roller to aid self massage but the best way to start is with simple rolling. Depending on your flexibility, it can be difficult to get in and out of position to use a roller, especially because it often requires you to get on the floor and roll over the roller.
1. Roll on a hard surface. In other words, roll directly on the floor or a yoga mat.
2. Move slowly and work from the center of the body out toward your extremities. For example, from glutes to calves.
3. Use the roller at the end of your exercise, while the muscles are still warm. They can be used in conjunction to stretching. Some get better results from stretching, if they combine it with foam rolling.
4. Don’t just roll over the area of tension, try rolling above and below the area and on the opposite side of the body. For example, if you’re tight in the hamstrings, also roll the glutes, calves and quads, just to cover all the possible causes of the tight hamstrings.
Trigger point release
5. If you want to release a trigger point, roll up the muscle and sit gently over the knot once you get to it, take a deep breath and either wait for the knot to release, or ease off the pressure after a few seconds and keep rolling. Repeat that once or twice more until the knot has eased.
Precautions
6. Don’t roll over boney joints or inflammation. It will be painful as a result and may make the inflammation worse.
7. Don’t do it all at once. A couple short sessions of rolling might be better than one long one. Try just four rolls, up and down the muscle, two to three times a day.
8. Check you are wearing fitted, comfortable clothing. Some loose clothing can get caught up as you roll. Importantly, the same can be said for long hair. Be sure to tie it up.
9. There are some techniques, rolling against a wall but be careful if you’re already injured, you don’t want to slip or fall while rolling.
10. Don’t over do it! For instance, 30 to 45 seconds of rolling at a comfortable pressure is enough at one time. That is to say, too much pressure with prolonged periods of rolling could worsen your injury.
10 Top tips on Foam Rolling techniques
Upper Back & Shoulders
Calf
Hip Flexors
IT Band
Hamstrings
Quadraceps
Lats
Glutes
Lower Back
Chest/Pecs
Of course, foam rolling doesn’t replace the valued hands and expertise of a trusted massage therapist but it can ease off tension. Similarly it can prolong your visits between massages and help protect your muscles from further tension and possible injury. In short, if you’re not sure what you’re doing or want some tips and advice, just ask your massage therapist.
