I am notorious for avoiding foam rolling. I try to get out of it in any way I can. But, as you can imagine, avoidance leads to nothing good. When I don’t play nice with my foam roller, I and you, can expect the following:
- Tight, sore and stiff muscles.
- An increased risk for injury that could sideline you from doing what love.
- A general and totally unnecessary discomfort throughout the day from angry muscles.
Foam rolling can be the difference between trouble-free running and injury. Check out this handy guide below to find out everything you need to know about this amazing injury prevention method:
What is a foam roller?
Up until quite recently, a discussion around foam rolling would bring about some confusing looks. The most basic of foam rollers looks very similar to a ‘pool noodle’ floatation device you often find at swimming pools. The only difference is that the foam roller is a bid more dense and has a wider diameter.
A foam roller is used to supplement the work of a deep tissue specialist, such as: a physio, a sports massage therapist, or an osteopath. Using a foam roller correctly, with your own body weight, is referred to as self myofascial release (SMR).
Why should runners foam roll?
Runners should foam roll for many reasons, including: sedentary lifestyles, sitting down for extensive periods of time, overworked muscles, not enough stretching, injury recovering and prevention, or because fascia and underlying muscle tissue within the body can become stuck together. This is called an adhesion, knot, or trigger point, depending on the orientation of the therapist making the diagnosis.
These adhesions result in restricted muscle movement, which causes a reduction in flexibility and muscle efficiency. If let untreated, this can lead to symptomatic pain and injury.
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