A foam roller is a cylindrical tube made from very dense foam, which can range in length from 12 to 36 inches. They prove useful for self-myofascial release, a massage technique designed to loosen up tight soft tissue in the body. When done regularly, foam rolling can help reduce the amount of tight spots in a muscle, which are known as trigger points, and greatly improve mobility, which leads to a reduced risk of injury.
Step 1
Clear floor space at least as long as your body when you are completely stretched out lying down and wide enough so that if you spread your arms you do not hit anything. Choose a carpeted area or an exercise mat to foam roll on, as a hard floor may cause discomfort.
Step 2
Work most on the areas that need attention: often the hip flexors, glutes, iliotibial band, calves and chest. The quads, upper back and arms still need to be worked, but they are generally more mobile, so don't need to be rolled as intensely or frequently.
Step 3
Perform your foam rolling drills slowly. Put pressure on trigger points and adhesions for sustained periods. When rolling smaller body parts like the hip flexors, spend five seconds rolling in each direction. When doing larger muscle groups like the lats and quads, each roll should take 10 to 15 seconds. You should do 10 to 15 rolls in each direction for every muscle group. and if you find a point which is particularly tight and tender, apply extra pressure on it for five seconds before continuing.
Step 4
Roll your whole body at least three times per week, spending roughly 30 minutes per session, as part of a warm-up before training, as a cool-down afterwards, or on rest days.
Tips and Warnings
- Warm up before you roll, so that the muscles are more pliable and less tender, and the pain is reduced.
- The first few sessions will be quite uncomfortable, especially on tighter muscle groups, but this will soon subside once the muscles are more mobile and have fewer knots and trigger point in thems.
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