Foam Rolling 101

Ciao everybody and welcome back to the blog! Following my month-long challenge over on my YouTube channel I thought I would do a fitness blog on one of my favorite ways to help stretch out those sore muscles. Enter: foam rolling. This simple and inexpensive practice has many benefits for the body and can be done from the comfort of your home while you’re watching your favorite series.

Foam rolling is a type of self-massage or myofascial release that help increase mobility, fitness and ease discomfort. First, let’s look at what exactly mysofascial release is. It is “the application of low-intensity forces to soft tissues over a long period of time. Essentially, the purpose is to allow contracted muscles to relax, which improves blood flow and nutrient flow to the area. The effect is that muscles operate with smoother motion because of reduced internal rubbing” [1]. So, whether you’re an athlete, have a desk job, or suffer from muscle pain and discomfort foam rolling could be the missing piece of your daily routine. 

There are many benefits to performing myofascial release daily, both that I’ve found through my research online as well as some things that I have personally experienced, that I’d like to share with you all here today.

From my research online:

1. Increased Blood Flow

“Myofascial release via foam rolling exercises stretches and loosens muscles. By applying force to your muscles and connective tissue over time, blood is squeezed out and replaced by a flood of fresh blood. Blood carries vital nutrients such as oxygen and glycogen to spent muscles. The greater amount of blood flow leads to various related and beneficial results” [1]. 

An increase in blood flow to the targeted area is something I have experienced and enjoyed with foam rolling particularly as it pertains to my warm-ups. For the past month or so I have been foam rolling for 5 minutes as part of a dynamic warm-up routine. Not only has it helped to open up the joint and bring blood to the area but I find it also helps to reduce any muscle soreness potentially left over from the day before. 

2. Better Range of Motion

“Foam rolling works by returning your muscles and soft tissue to their native form. Exercise, injury, and the rigors of life can cause knots that restrict mobility and performance. By smashing those knots and allowing soft tissue to operate correctly again, foam rolling increases range of motion and improves workout performance.” And perhaps the best part is that myofascial release allows your body to get into positions where it can apply the most force during your workout” [2]. 

Mobility is different from flexibility in that flexibility is the ability of muscle(s) to lengthen, whereas mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion. While post-workout stretching is great and can reduce muscle soreness, foam rolling (or specifically myofascial release) works to improve the active range of motion of a given joint. You can use your foam roller to open up major areas such as the hips, glutes, shoulders, IT band, hip flexors and chest. 

I’ll be filming a simple 5-10 minute foam rolling routine on my YouTube Channel in February so stay tuned if you’re interested in also making this part of your daily active practice :)

3. Decreased Injury Risk & Recovery Time

This one is a two for one in that myofascial release can help your muscles stay healthier and stronger, longer. “Myofascial release from foam rolling reduces the chance of injury because coordination of the body is improved. This means that the likelihood of an improper movement leading to injury is reduced significantly” [1].

And as for recovery time, “after a workout, muscles, and joints become sore because of the build-up of waste products such as lactic acid. When performed post-workout, self-massage acts to wash the acid away by recruiting fresh blood and nutrients to the fatigued muscle groups” [1]. 

This has proven true for me during the last month of my myofascial release experiment. I really enjoy working out and make time to do it every morning, and even short sessions of five to ten minutes of foam rolling each day have made a huge improvement in the amount of soreness I experience the day after. 

4. Smoother and leaner-looking muscles

This last one is purely from my own experience though I have seen articles supporting similar claims. While I generally like to focus on the performance and feeling side of exercise, I also want you all to feel as good as you can in your skin. Foam rolling each day has had the lovely side effect of smoothing out my muscles, reducing the appearance of cellulite and making them feel more toned. There are many expensive products on the market that promise to do the same thing but I encourage you all to try this one out before wasting your money on potentially ineffective creams and gels. 

Thank you all for stopping by this week and stay tuned on my channel for a video on this soon- I’ll lay out a quick routine you can do each day with your new foam rolling buddy :)

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave it down below. 

I’ll see you all here next week for a fresh blog!

Xoxo,

Alexandra 

Sources:

1. “6 Powerful Foam Roller Benefits for Your Daily Routine.” Develop Good Habits, 7 Dec. 2019, www.developgoodhabits.com/foam-roller-benefits/ 

2. Barnett, Jeff. “Science Says Foam Rolling Increases ROM and Does Not Decrease Strength.” Breaking Muscle, 29 June 2019, breakingmuscle.com/fitness/science-says-foam-rolling-increases-rom-and-does-not-decrease-strength