FOAM ROLLER: WHAT IS IT AND EASY EXERCISES

Hi everyone! In this post we’re going to talk about an instrument which is increasing in popularity in the last years: the foam roller. We’re going to explain what is it, which are its uses and finally an easy routine you can do at home with a foam roller.

Self-myofascial release (SMR) is a new technique in the field of sports and training and rehabilitation and it’s growing in popularity in a very fast way in the last years.

It’s based on enhancing the mobility of the muscular fascias (the tissues which cover the muscles). It can be performed with roller massagers, but the most common instrument and the one we are going to talk about in this post is the foam roller. In this technique, the person uses his/her corporal weight to put pressure on the soft tissues during the rolling of the implement.

Some of the benefits of the SMR can be improving the range of motion (ROM) and enhancing the recovery processes by decreasing muscular soreness. It has also a great application in decreasing pain after a high intensity training session. In addition, the instruments like the foam roller can be used also to train the CORE, having like this more variety in that kind of trainings. It’s important to say that SMR benefits are mostly short-term, but a little time with the foam roller every day can also help us to feel better.

Foam roller is normally used after exercise, to return to the calm and relax the body, but scientific studies have shown that its use prior to exercise (warm up and stretching) is also effective, and it doesn’t affect in a negative way the muscular performance.

In the following slides you can see a summary of the information above:

There are lots of different foam rollers: different sizes, foam densities and even shapes, but all of them work in the same way, so you can choose which one fits you better. In this post we are going to show you different exercises to relax and increase mobility in specific zones that are usually tight in the majority of people and cause pain.

Now, we are going to show you an easy and short routine with exercises you can perform everyday with the foam roller, after a session of exercise or simply at night when you arrive at home tired of a long working day.

You can find more information at:

Cheatham, S. W., Kolber, M. J., Cain, M., & Lee, M. (2015). THE EFFECTS OF SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE USING A FOAM ROLL OR ROLLER MASSAGER ON JOINT RANGE OF MOTION, MUSCLE RECOVERY, AND PERFORMANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 10(6), 827–38. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26618062

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