Let’s Get Rolling!
Foam rolling is something that is incorporated into a large majority of the warm-ups here at Get Fit, but I feel that the benefits and true importance don’t get touched upon enough! Foam rolling is a form of Self-Myofacial Release, which you can think of as mini massage for yourself (that you don’t need to make an appointment for) that will help you perform better during training and recover properly after!
I am hoping that once reading through this post, you obtain a better understanding as to why we do it and that you might even want to invest in a foam roller!
Benefits of foam rolling BEFORE training:
- Improved circulation of blood - resuming normal blood flow through your muscles through the pressure applied and helping to get better oxygen delivery to those muscles
- Releasing painful trigger points or knots in the muscle that may be hindering your movement patterns
- Decreasing muscle tightness and improving flexibility - rolling the muscles will help stretch and loosen the fascia that surrounds your muscles, helping many other structures move more freely, therefore increasing your ability to perform better!
Benefits of foam rolling AFTER training:
- Help decrease your recovery time - sore and fatigued muscles after a workout can be attributed to lactic acid buildup; as you roll those tired muscles, blood and nutrients flood the area to help your body to recover and remove waste products
- Keep your body less prone to injury - keeping structures throughout the body moving more easily will limit injury caused by restrictions
Helpful tips to remember: Take deep breaths, relax your body and the muscle being targeted, move slowly to gain awareness of trigger points, and apply pressure.
Time to get rolling,
Coach Cari