This Isn’t Your Grandmother’s Foam Rolling

For an effective massage between massage appointments, look no further than the foam roller. Combined with our body weight, this simple cylinder can loosen tight muscles and correct muscle imbalances, all from the comfort (er, more on that in a bit) of home. While it requires a little more effort than relaxing on a table, foam rolling is good for those looking to loosen up tight areas, relieve pain, improve movement quality and recover from those challenging Awant workouts!

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – THE NEED TO KNOW

Foam rolling is a popular form of self- myofascial release (SMR), a type of soft-tissue therapy that focuses on the nerves and connective tissue (or fascia) between muscles. Due to overuse and injury, muscle fibers and fascia can become knotted together and, if left untreated, this condition can cause a buildup of movement-impairing scar tissue. Foam rolling, massage, and other myofascial release techniques use direct pressure to stretch problem muscles until these knots – and the imbalances they cause – are at least partially removed. And since a single muscle imbalance can lead to faulty movement patterns and joint fatigue, foam rollers are more than worth their (admittedly light) weight in preventative gold.

ROLL THE PAIN AWAY – YOUR ACTION PLAN

While foam rolling can be done anytime, it is most effectively used as a warm-up prior to your workout. Place the targeted muscle group on top of the foam roller, apply gentle pressure, and slowly roll along the trouble spot. It a particular area is tight or painful, pause over it for 20-30 seconds, pulsing on and off until tenderness is subsided. It if hurts you are usually on the right spot 🙂