As a matter of procedure at Body Planners we as trainers aim to get all of our clients familiarised with the foam roller. We show them how to roll, and educate them as to why rolling can benefit their all round health and boost their gains.
Foam rolling is a self aid massage system. It basically allows the user to apply pressure to trigger points in muscle tissue to alleviate muscle pain, tension and stress which accumulates as a result of their lifestyle. As you’re aware by now if you’ve read some of our other stuff, joint pain is usually associated with a muscular imbalance somewhere else in the chain of muscles. The pain in your knee could be tight tissue above or below the joint, that lower back pain could be tension elsewhere. With the help of a foam roller you can restore some order and begin to balance out these issues.
A full body foam rolling routine takes around 10 minutes to complete. It allows you to increase the length and surface area of the muscle tissue by breaking down knots that accumulate over time. This naturally promotes good circulation and health blood flow around your body. As a secondary benefit to all of this, foam rolling is really good for joint stability because of the little movements performed on the roller it’s self. The more stable your joints are, the better your technique for lifting weights will become, you will become more flexible because your joints can operate maximally and unhindered. Foam rolling helps set good foundations for you to progress from, whatever your fitness goal may be.
We use the foam roller in warm ups generally, to prepare the muscles and mind for a focused session but we also advocate this method to enhance your recovery and keep you on the road to succeeding your goals.