October Opportunities: Foam Rolling

by Johnny Martin, CPT

Foam rollers are a great thing to incorporate into your daily stretch routine. Foam rollers help alleviate any myofascial adhesions that can cause inflexibility and muscle imbalance throughout the body. In other words, it is used to loosen and release any knots that might be lurking within your muscles. Meaning it can improve soreness, tightness, or inflammation that occurs from working out.

You can use this technique anytime throughout the day to see significant improvements in the overall range of motion. This includes the first thing you do when you wake up, before bed, after workouts, or before workouts. Using before your workouts can increase your muscle elasticity which can give you a boost in range of motion and blood flow. Allowing for improved movements during your workouts and decreasing the chances of injury. It can also be a great way to enhance your recovery post-workout. The stimulation in blood flow can allow an increase of oxygen to the muscles you just work on, in turn helping improve the uncomfortable symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness and reducing recovery time.

Foam rollers come in all shapes in sizes. Most of the time, foam rollers will be provided in gyms, including MoveWell! However, if you want one of your own, you can find them at most stores like Dick’s Sport Goods, Walmart, and Amazon. The shape and firmness of the roller can vary based on what specific muscles or joints you want to target. Textured ones can target deep knots, and ball-shaped ones can be great for muscles in-between your shoulders and even for your feet. Below is a video on some great exercises that you can perform using foam rollers.