- Foam rollers are a great way to relieve tension in your body
- Fascia is a system of tissue that connects everything in your body
- Overly tight fascia can impair many aspects of your health, movement and performance
- A few minutes on a good foam roller each day can make a big different on the way you feel, function, look and live
If you are unfamiliar with fascia, fascia is a densely woven specialized system of tissue in the body that covers and connects everything in the body from muscle and bone to internal organs and arteries.
Fascial tension is a lot like gravity, it keeps your body together and working properly, but if it gets too strong, everything gets harder.
When there is unhealthy fascia in your body, it can not only cause stiffness and pain, but also Impair mobility, strength, balance, circulation and even organ function.
Foam rollers or body rollers are a not only a great way to relieve tension in your body, but they are also a great self-care technique designed to optimize the health of your muscles and fascia.When you are dealing with unhealthy fascia, or even post-workout soreness and tightness, it is a great time to break out a foam roller. After an intense workout, or conversely a lot of sitting, your body can feel very tight, stiff, and sore. This can make everyday activities slightly uncomfortable and more challenging. With the use of a foam roller, you can often instantly feel that tension melt away as you increase circulation and soften the tissues in your body. While that tension in your tissue and joints is being released, you are also doing other wonders for you body, like: enhancing athletic performance through improved mobility in your body, improving that part of your body’s relationship with it’s neighboring muscle tissue, and also maintaining healthy tissue quality through regular self-massage using a roller.
Overall, there isn’t really ever a bad time to use a foam roller (except if you have a new injury). Regardless of if you are experiencing tightness from a great workout or just everyday life, there are many amazing benefits from using a foam roller that can improve the overall health and performance.
Now that we have established that foam rollers are a great way to keep your muscle and tissues healthy, you make have a few questions. We can help!
how long should you roll out your muscles exactly?
- Here at Committed HP, we recommend spending about 20-60 seconds on each targeted area before moving on to the next, ensuring optimal roll out sessions.
- That answer can vary depending on the area of the body and the what you are experiencing. It is best to start off very gently and roll lightly along the targeted muscle group. If an area is too sensitive, it is advised to slow down the rolling and not cause any more discomfort in that area. Keep the body as relaxed as possible while rolling out your body, and maintain full and steady breathing. When you are finished rolling out, you want to be in a parasympathetic state, or, a “rest and digest” state, which promotes relaxation and recovery.
- We have all heard the sayings "hurt so good" and "no pain no gain", but rolling does not have to hurt to be beneficial. Most importantly, pain and discomfort should never be the intention. Consistency and quality are what makes the difference. If an area on your body is too painful, take extra care when rolling it out, or just simply work around the area instead.
What the heck am I actually doing when I roll?
- The goal of foam rolling, also known as myofascial release and body rolling, is to release excess tension in and around muscles, joints and organs. The pressure of the roller on trigger points, which you can think of buttons on the body, can have a reflex-like effect which allows for release. You are also promoting better body awareness, circulation and arrangement and organization of tissues in the body. Ultimately this promotes healthier muscle tissue, better function of joints and organs, and an overall improved sense of wellbeing.