I have owned a foam roller for at least five years now. Most of the time it sat around the house as a decoration, collecting dust. I tried to find uses for it, lamp, vase, kitchen utensil holder; before finally deciding to use it for its actual purpose; to help with muscle recovery before or after workouts or races.
Foam Roller Lamp?
Foam Roller Vase?
Foam Roller Utensil Holder?
I discovered that using the foam roller for even just ten minutes after a hard ride or run felt good (sometimes in a painful way). Also it helped me to recover more quickly and prepare for another hard effort the next day or even later that week.
Here are some benefits of foam rolling and why all athletes should take the time to use the roller before and/or after workouts.
- Rollers are used for SMR (self-myofascial release) which basically restores the mobility between different tissues in the body, specifically muscles and the surrounding fascia.
- Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds your muscles. If the fascia is not mobile, it does not allow the muscles to have normal motion and can cause pain.
- Foam rolling helps to restore balance and allow for this normal motion to occur.
- Foam rolling helps to increase blood flow, remove lactic acid and decrease recovery time, meaning you can get back to feeling strong and performing at your best sooner!
- Keeping balance in the tissues of your body can prevent injuries.
So pull that foam roller off the shelf or out of your closet and spend some time putting it to good use on your body. Put some pressure on your tired muscles and slowly roll them out and it will pay off in the short and long term restoring balance within your body.
