Have you ever heard of self-myofascial release (a.k.a foam rolling)? If not, read closely because this is a must-use piece of equipment to incorporate into your exercise routine.
Foam rolling massages out the soft tissue, helping improve both the flexibility of muscles and mobility of joints. For example, muscle tightness reduces a joint's range of motion. As a result of muscle tightness, joint motion is changed, thus altering normal neural feedback to the central nervous system. This leads to compromised neuromuscular efficiency, which results in improper movement patterns, causing premature fatigue, and eventually injury.
Foam roll before or after every workout. Stretching alone cannot remove all the knots that form in your muscles, foam rolling can. For those of us that wish we could get a professional deep tissue massage every week, this is the next best thing! It's the "poor man's massage." Foam rolling is good for everyone, not just athletes and gym rats. Foam rolling can help prevent injury, and improve flexibility, function, and performance. It' also a great way to de-stress!
Additional Benefits of Foam Rolling:
• Corrects muscle imbalances
• Improves joint range of motion
• Relieves muscle soreness and joint stress
• Decreases muscle tightness
• Improves neuromuscular efficiency
• Maintains normal functional muscular length
If you don't have one at home or your gym, I suggest getting one. They are an inexpensive piece of equipment and they make a big difference in performance and recovery. If needed, your local personal trainer or YouTube are excellent sources to learn how to use this great tool. Now, get rolling!
Content credit: PerformBetter.com
Photo credit: Amazon.com