Fads come and go. Remember the Thigh Master? The vibrating belt machines? Jane Fonda aerobic videos? Shake Weight? They were all the craze and then they were gone. You may occasionally find a Thigh Master at a yard sale if you really look hard enough. 🙂
Well, I’m here to give my two cents about the foam roller. It’s here to stay. Whether you’re a big time exercise guru, a yoga enthusiast, or someone who is wanting to start taking their health and wellness a bit more seriously, the foam roller can provide benefits you’re going to love. While you may not be a runner, this article “Benefits of Foam Rolling….Even for Healthy Runners” give so much great information on the foam roller and why/how it works. I encourage you to read it.
I think by now we’ve all heard that we need to stretch before doing any physical activity. Most people think it’s to loosen up tight muscles which is part of it but the bigger benefit is the health of your fascia. Here is your anatomy lesson for the day: the fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of the muscles in your body is called your fascia. While we spend a lot of time thinking about our muscles, we spend little time thinking about keeping our fascia in good shape. Stretches help the fascia stay free-moving, prevents binding or twisting. This is so important for maintaining a normal range of motion and mobility.
Give yourself a daily boost. Although we should, most of us do not get up in the morning and do a series of stretches before we start our day. A few minutes with the foam roller will get your blood flowing, wake up your muscles, and give your body a great overall feeling.
Pre-workout foam rolling done before stretching is shown to help the muscles get more out of the stretching exercises, reduces injury risk during the workout, and can increase performance levels through greater mobility.
Post-workout foam rolling helps the body begin to receive more oxygen to the muscles which in turn makes the muscular healing process quicker.
Going to yoga for a relaxing mind/body focus? Foam rolling is going to give your yoga experience a real lift. You will find that you experience more stability, longer pose holds, and a wide range of mobility that you may not get otherwise.
Give it a try. While foam rollers will not replace a great deep tissue massage it is the best way to get a DIY version on a daily basis. In doing my research, most of the foam roller products come with complete instructions and often include a video to help get you started. Escapes With You put out this blog post that may help you decide before you buy, Best Foam Roller with Review.
I hope this helps. I would love to hear which foam roller you use, how often, and what benefits you’ve seen from it. Pop on over to my Facebook page and give us your opinion.