August 16, 2020: Foam Rolling

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Getting a professional massage after a tough workout isn’t always feasible (I wish! When I’m rich...). But, with a prevalence of self-massage products on the shelves and at the gym, myofascial release techniques like your favorite massage therapist does are easily accessible. This week, we’re going to talk about how you can use a foam roller to ease your muscles after a hard workout or on rest days.

Foam rollers are an ingenious piece of equipment. They can not only give you a tough workout, but, more importantly, they also aid in recovery for your overactive muscles. After a tough workout, your muscles can become fatigued and inflamed. This can cause the tissues to thicken, resulting in knots. When pressure is applied to certain areas of the body, you’ll notice these painful trigger points, or knots, that cause pain to radiate in other areas.

Elimination of Muscle Knots

By using your own bodyweight to create pressure on these knots, foam rolling assists in breaking up those knots. Because you’re using your own body to apply pressure, you’re better able to identify the sore, tight spots and adhesions that cause pain. By targeting these specific areas, foam rolling puts the healing and recovery process in your hands. You control how much pressure you should put on the affected area. You know best, afterall!

Outside of the knots or trigger points, foam rolling also relieves the pain associated with tight muscles, such as shin splints. Foam rolling breaks down the amount of lactic acid that can build up after an intense workout session preventing delayed onset muscle soreness.

Improved Range of Motion

One of the most beneficial aspects of foam rolling is by improving your range of motion. Foam rolling techniques stretches and lengthens the connective tissues in your muscles thereby increasing your range of motion. This helps the recovery process by making you more flexible and less likely to strain during your workouts or increase your risk of injury.

Increased Blood Flow

Your body demands more oxygen during a workout to break down glucose and create energy. Self-myofascial release increases blood flow to the specific areas, increasing oxygen delivery to that area. The increased blood flow helps your body perform better because it’s creating the fuel your muscles need to operate. The increased blood flow and range of motion allow you to push your muscles more each workout and decrease the amount of recovery time needed between workouts.

How to Do It

Depending on your needs there are a variety of foam rollers out there for recovery. Foam rollers have different sizes, materials, and shapes. Start your foam rolling experience with a smooth 36-inch soft foam roller. Make sure to engage your core and keep breathing. If the pain is too intense, readjust and find a position that is not as painful. Roll your major muscle groups for about two minutes each. Breaking the large muscles into thirds, start at the top, spend 20-30 seconds rolling the muscle before breaking and moving down.

The goal of any recovery method is to get your muscles back to functioning normally. By releasing knots, foam rolling helps reestablish pain free movements and reestablish movement patterns. Foam rolling is also a great way to enhance performance, reduce soreness and prevent injuries.

Next Sunday, we’ll talk about some of the health issues that can come from a magnesium deficiency.

Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.

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I hope you have a wonderful week,

Kelly

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Tsirona - www.tsirona.com

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