Warm-Up
Did you know that foam rolling before working out can help avoid painful muscle pulling and damage? Foam rolling increases the blood circulation to the muscles by improving hydration: this reduces friction between the muscles as they shift past one another while working out. The smoother the movement, the smoother the workout!
Increase Range of Motion
The goal of any workout should be to broaden your range of motion, meaning you use more muscles during the workout. Improved motion range reduces the chances of an injury, as well as improving your flexibility. As we age, flexibility is even more imperative to keep in mind, as we must keep our muscles and ligaments nimble and adaptable for optimal vitality.
Improve Mobility and Flexibility
Foam rolling helps release tension in the muscles, relieve muscle soreness, and improve flexibility and range of motion.
Reduce Risk of Injury
All of the benefits above cut down on the chances of an injury. Think about it: you normally pull a muscle or hurt yourself at the gym when you’ve overexerted your range of motion. For example, if you haven’t worked on your flexibility for a while, a sudden jolt of movement bending down could be the last straw for your body. Better flexibility prevents faulty body movements like this, thus cutting down the chances of an injury which no one wants!
Cut Down Recovery Time
We're all busy – any time saving tips and tricks go a long way in making workouts more realistic to fit into our daily sessions. After a good workout session, muscles tend to feel sore and stiff. This post-workout period is when the use of a foam roller to perform self-myofascial release can be highly beneficial. Using a foam roller increases blood circulation to the massaged areas. The new blood brings along with it fresh oxygen and other nutrients which helps to reduce lactic acid build-up and will get you feeling less sore and ready for your next workout sooner.
Ease Stress Levels
The last few months have been particularly stressful for everyone. People have had to adjust to the challenges of working from home, home schooling and putting a hold on travel plans. We’re anxious, uncertain and the feeling of instability is pulsing through our daily lives. That’s why it’s important to mention that foam rolling has therapeutic advantages in addition to physical ones. When the body experiences high levels of stress, as in the case after an intense workout, the back and neck areas tend to tense up. Applying foam rolling techniques after your workout can help you relax those muscles, releasing tension from those areas and speeding up recovery. Even a short foam rolling session will leave you feeling much fresher and rejuvenated.
TL;DR
- Low effort, big reward
- Reduces soreness and promotes recovery, getting you back in the gym sooner
- Reduces the risk of injury, extending your training potential
- Helps you better transition to/from higher intensity workouts, putting you in the right mindset for training success
Come along every Wednesday night to learn the ways of foam rolling. We combine rolling with static and dynamic stretching to leave you feeling relaxed and tension free – Click here for full timetable.
Acknowledgements
The following sources were referred to in researching and creating this article:
- RollaFlex Effectiveness of Foam Rolling in Combination with Static Stretching – Division Ex
- Benefits of Foam Rolling – Krix Luther