Do I really need to foam roll?

So what is the deal with foam rolling and why do I even need to do it? Those were my thoughts on it before I became certified fitness professional. I thought that foam rolling was JUST for when I was injured or when I was feeling tight in my upper back. Then when I would foam roll I’d be making faces and the feeling of the roller against my lats would make me more often than not skip that part of the warm-up. Sound familiar?

There’s a reason that  foam rolling (also known as self myofascial release-SMR), is a technique used by physical therapists, chiropractors and professional athletes on the daily. One of the reasons is that the more frequently you roll the less painful the process becomes (who would have thought) AND because it helps to prevent injuries.

Between poor posture, too many intense workouts without recovery time and other lifestyle factors our bodies learn to compensate for what we throw at them. This leads to imbalances in the body and a misalignment that could eventually lead to an injury. If our muscles are not taken care of properly we can experience loss of mobility and painful movement. 

Mobility is sometimes used interchangeably with flexibility but there is a slight difference. Mobility is not just about how tight or loose a muscle is, it’s about the joints that the muscles & tendons are connected to being able to move through their full range of motion. A lack of mobility can lead to muscle imbalances, muscle spasms, knots and altered muscle control. Muscles that are tight tend to be short and overactive which keeps the body from working optimally and efficiently since it can interfere with proper form.

So how does foam rolling come into play? The deep compression in foam rolling improves circulation by breaking up knots and allowing normal blood flow and function. By applying pressure to specific points, you are able to help muscles recover to healthy, elastic tissue. This elastic tissue is now lengthened so that the body has improved range of motion for more power during your workouts and helps to minimize compensations and injuries.

Check out the tutorial below for a step by step guide on rolling out the lower body. This is great to use before running or a lower body workout.