What is the Benefit of Foam Rolling?
What is the Benefit of Foam Rolling?
Smooth and textured foam rollers- Image courtesy Lee Leblanc (cc2.0 generic)
I admit, the foam roller looks something like a gimmick. How can an item so simple be effective- at all? What is myofacia? I’ve spent money on athletic equipment before that didn’t live up to it’s advertising- and I was determined to not fall for it again. But then my challenge group on Facebook started talking about how well it worked for them. I was curious. I bit and bought one. And boy am I glad that I did. It’s one of the most valuable pieces of equipment that I own.
Using a foam roller is a way to break down myofacial scars and adhesions which cause pain and restrict movement. The fascia is the thin membrane that covers and connects your bones, muscle, tendons, ligaments, and organs. As a point of reference it’s the white film under the skin of a piece of raw chicken. The fascia along with the muscle is what is called the myofacial system.
A nubby foam roller – Image courtesy Josh Tremper (cc2.0 generic)
When you exercise, you create small scars and adhesions whithin the fascia. Through pressure and a slight stretch at the point of contact the foam roller breaks down the scars and adhesions, restoring flexibility and reducing pain. The pressure activates sensory receptors, causing a reflex signal from the spinal cord to relax the muscle. Recovery is accelerated because foam rolling increases blood circulation, which delivers nutrients to your body and removes lactic acid (a byproduct of exercising that makes you feel sore). This is similar to a deep sports massage at a fraction of the price.
The best time to do foam rolling is before and after your workout. Foam rolling is not a replacement for a proper warmup and cooldown. Additionally, foam rolling can be added to any part of your day if you need it. It can be done while watching television or whenever you get that sore feelign. At only a few minutes per body part, a full body foam rolling session only takes 10-15 minutes.
Rolling out the hamstring – image courtesy of SportEX Journals (cc2.0 generic)
The basics of how to foam roll can be found all over the internet, so I won’t go into great detail. But basically, you lie on the foam roller moving your body in a back and forth motion. You can place the roller under your hamstring, calf, butt, back, lats, and many other muscles. This video from Yun Training provides great dialogue about the foam roller as well as a full-body roller routine. However for the lower back a pair of tennis or lacrosse balls are better- see the video here specific to rolling the lower back.
Most of my personal experience with the foam roller wasn’t anything exceptional. In fact, my roller stayed on a shelf for most of the past year. Recently though, I hurt my back shoveling snow. With some dedicated foam rolling I felt an immediate and significant reduction in pain. Within 3 days I felt confident enough to restart my exercise routine. Yes, I had a relapse a few days later to be honest. But I foam rolled it out and got right back to my regimen. At the onset of the injury I expected to be out of action for the better part of a month- at least. With foam rolling, my time on the sidelines only amounted to a few days. Not bad at all.
Links:
Advice: What does foam rolling actually do? | Men’s Health
Foam Rolling | Doug Kelsey
Roll away injuries- the benefits of using a foam roller | Competitor
Benefits of a foam roller for tight muscles | Healthstatus
Images used under the following Creative Commons Licenses:
Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 2.0
Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivs 2.0
