What is Foam Rolling?
Foam Rollers are exercise devices that are used in both massage therapy and fitness. They roll over “trigger points” to help soothe sore areas and loosen tight muscles fibers. Foam rolling may feel painful or uncomfortable in the moment or result in temporary soreness, however in the long-term it relieves tension and rids the body of built up lactic acid.
Engaging in foam rolling increases the mobility of fascia. Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue in the body that surrounds the muscles. The fibers can cross over one another and become linked or binded to muscles and nerves. This limits mobility and causes pain. Foam rolling can help loosen these connections to relieve pain and tension.
You can add foam rolling into your routine and see a myriad of positive changes as a result. These are the seven primary benefits of daily foam rolling.
1) Fast Recovery and Injury Prevention
The foam roller is a simple tool that is key in physique building, recovery, and injury prevention. The roller releases myofascial tension independent from the assistance of another person or professional RMT. Athletes commonly use foam rollers to feel an immediate impact in their performance. With less muscle tension, you can get back in the gym or on the field without a need for extended rest days. Increased mobility also helps you avoid injuries with the necessary flexibility and strength to remain agile during activity.
2) Break Up Scar Tissue
Foam rollers are especially beneficial for runners who have tight fascia and muscles from jogging, running, or sprinting. Foam rolling on trigger points like the quads and calves, applies the necessary pressure to relieve symptoms like shin splints. The pressure also breaks up scar tissue that sits between the skin, muscles, and bones.
3) Improve Mobility And Enhance Flexibility
Individuals who engage in high set, low rep workouts and lift heavy, can often see a decrease in their strength when they don’t pay attention to flexibility. Flexibility helps the muscles move and lift with ease. Rolling out the muscles and focussing on flexibility can also improve range of motion. If training is important to you, post-workout foam rolling combined with targeted stretches, could be the best way to enhance your physical strength and performance.
4) Prevent Lactic Acid Build Up
What is lactic acid anyways? When we perform strenuous exercises, our bodies send oxygen to the muscles. When muscles are working hard and anaerobic energy production is happening at a high rate, lactate can accumulate. High lactate increases acidity in the muscle cells can cause cramping or a burning sensation in the muscles. Rolling out the acid with pressure can help prevent a build up.
5) Economically Feasible
Massage therapy is an effective and useful way to strategically apply pressure to the muscles at the hands of a professional. However, attending the RMT on a daily basis is not easy on our schedules or our wallets. A simple daily foam roll is an affordable way to maintain the muscles flexibility and work at knots or tight fibers in between visits to the clinic.
6) Tool for Core Workouts
A foam roller can be used as not only a recovery tool, but an at-home exercise tool. Rolling the foam cylinder under your back while engaging in core-strengthening sit ups, is a great way to both roll out back muscles and support an abdominal workout.
7) Essential for a Sedentary Lifestyle
You don’t have to be an athlete or a gym junkie to make use of a foam roller. No matter what kind of lifestyle you lead, your muscles require blood circulation and the relief of tension. Sitting at a desk, driving for long periods of time, or even wearing a backpack to school can take a toll on the muscles. It’s beneficial for anyone to roll out muscles with the pressure of a foam roller.
Foam Roller Instructional Tool
The Foam Roller Techniques Poster Set
This poster set includes images and instructions for self-massage and stretching on a foam roller, clearly demonstrated on two posters—one for the upper body and one for the lower body.
The techniques are broken down by upper and lower body exercises in a 18" x 24" poster set. This is an ideal resource for fitness centers, rehab facilities, at home, or at the office. Each exercise features descriptive instructions, clear photography and an anatomical illustration showing the targeted muscle.
Shop the foam roller poster set here >>
Shop Foam Rollers
Healthcare Solutions carries a variety of foam rollers to address all of your performance-enhancing, tension-reducing, or recovery oriented needs. Check out the selection of foam rollers here >>