What is a foam roller and why is foam rolling so important?

What is a foam roller and why is foam rolling so important?

Firstly, you need to understand what a foam roller is before we start. Foam rollers come in all shapes and sizes but they are generally a sphere shaped piece of foam that is used for self-massage to ease and soothe tight muscles and trigger points.

Some foam rollers are designed with spiked areas to make it easier at targeting specific knots, some are designed flat to make the foam rolling smoother. They come in different densities shapes and sizes.

As a rule, the firmer the foam roller, the easier it will get into the muscles. Although the more painful it will be.

Why is foam rolling important?

Foam rolling is often used by athletes as a form of self-massage. It’s a relatively quick and easy self-therapy after a hard workout. It can provide many benefits which can aid with your training and your general health.

Some of the benefits include; reducing trigger points, muscular tightness, tension and restriction. Research has shown that foam rolling can increase the range of motion at a joint particularly in conjunction with static stretching.

Foam rolling is important as it can really help to reduce muscular tension formed through vigorous exercise. It has been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (doms) after a workout. (This is the muscle ache that you get a day or two after a heavy weights session.)

Gregory E. P. Pearcey et al conducted a study which found that foam rolling on the quadriceps directly after exercise substantially improved muscle tenderness in the days after exercise was carried out. The research also showed that amongst the athletes tested, their sprint time was increased.

Does foam rolling hurt?

Foam rolling can be painful at times. As you foam roll onto each trigger point, you will most likely experience pain and discomfort. As you leave the foam roller on each specific point, the pain will begin to diminish gradually as the trigger point releases. The idea is to find the tender and tight areas and release them. This can definitely be painful but as they say, no pain no gain.

What alternatives are there to foam rolling?

Many individuals opt for a massage in order to get the benefits of foam rolling. In fact, a massage can be an even better alternative to foam rolling if you are trying to get rid of muscular tension, tightness and knots.

A skilled massage therapist will be able to find and release active trigger points. Sports massage is a fantastic form of therapy and one of the more common styles of massage for releasing trigger points and muscular tightness.

A sports massage therapist will tailor the massage to the needs and demands of your body, finding and releasing the tight and tense areas which may be causing you restriction or discomfort.

As well as foam rollers like those available in the gyms at Hammersmith and Lillie Road Fitness Centres, there are other unique tools which you can use. You may even have some of these lying around your house. Some of these include; Cricket balls, tennis balls, golf balls, massage sticks and trigger point balls.

Whatever method you use, releasing muscular tension and tightness will certainly help with your flexibility, movement and training and using a foam roller is a great place to get started!

References

Gregory E. P. Pearcey, David J. Bradbury-Squires, Jon-Erik Kawamoto, Eric J. Drinkwater, David G. Behm, and Duane C. Button (2015) Foam Rolling for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Recovery of Dynamic Performance Measures. Journal of Athletic Training: January 2015, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 5-13.

Mohr, Andrew & Long, Blaine & Goad, Carla. (2014). Foam Rolling and Static Stretching on Passive Hip Flexion Range of Motion.. Journal of sport rehabilitation. 23. 10.1123/jsr.2013-0025.

Author: Tyler Lowe Bsc Sports and Exercise Rehabilitation therapist, founder of Loving Life Sports Therapy, www.LovingLifeCo.com