Foam Rolling Benefits

Foam roller exercises, is a form of massage that people do either before exercise to loosen up sore muscles and tight joints, before or after a workout, in an effort to aid muscle recovery.

The benefits of foam rolling have to do with the mobility of the fascia. Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of the muscles in our body. Without proper mobility, fibers of the fascia become cross linked and they bind to muscles and nerves, inhibiting normal motion and causing pain.

Foam rollers can also target trigger points. These are areas in muscles where knots have developed over time. It’s possible to have excellent range of motion but still have trigger points that create pain and tightness. Stretching a muscle with a knot or trigger point generally addresses only the healthy muscle tissue. Trigger points respond much better to direct pressure; a foam roller is one way to safely apply that pressure.

Some benefits of foam rolling are:

• Increased blood flow to your muscles, which improves delivery of oxygen during your workout. Because blood carries oxygen throughout the body, good circulation becomes crucial to overall health.

• Helps to relieve muscle tension, especially after a hard workout.

• You can control how much pressure you apply to the area, which means you can really focus on areas that are sore and need more work.

• Improved flexibility and increased joint range of motion. The action of foam rolling can help to stretch out and lengthen your muscles, which can help you get more out of your workout.

• Decrease recovery time. Foam rolling can help with muscle repair so you aren’t left feeling as sore and sorry the next day.

• It can help to reduce cellulite. Improved blood flow can also help with the removal of toxins from your muscles, meaning that foam rolling may help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

• Prevent injury. Treating an injury becomes much easier when you avoid it in the first place. Oftentimes a consistent routine of proper stretching techniques combined with foam roller exercises can prevent many injuries associated with tightness and overuse.