Sometimes the best things in life are free…or in this case, very affordable. You can pick up a foam roller for 15 dollars or less and today, I am going to tell you why you should!
Mechanisms Behind Foam Rolling
Our 10 dollar word for the day is autogenic inhibition. Simply put, this is a protective mechanism that prevents muscles from exerting more force than ligaments, tendons and bones can handle.
If you have heard of the above then the golgi tendon organ (GTO) is familiar to you as well. The GTO has a couple functions. Most likely more but you can google and fact check me after you read this!
Hopefully my college professors are proud of me for remembering this stuff.
The muscle contraction that happens before a passive stretch activates the GTO and causes relaxation and thus, increases range of motion. We can get this same effect with foam rolling!
Foam Rolling is Good
At the end of the day, here is what I know. People feel better when they foam roll and they move better after they do it. We know very little about the fascial system and its long term play on movement health.
This does not mean that foam rolling is a replacement for more specific soft tissue work like massage. Those practitioners are great and can have a huge impact on overall health.
Remember, foam rolling is like flossing. You have to do it on a regular basis to reap the benefits. You can't just do it a couple of times a month and expect the gingivitis monster to stay away.
When To Foam Roll?
We program foam rolling as part of a client’s movement prep. It is very common to come into the gym and have a dozen people rolling around on the ground in unison. Usually takes about 5 minutes to foam roll and then we move on.
You can foam roll in between sets if you are experiencing some weird tightness or contrast the foam rolling with a mobility drill that compliments the area you are targeting with the roller.
At the end of sessions, we like to pair old school static stretching with foam rolling/trigger point work.
Again, we are not flopping around on the gym floor for hours. If you are foam rolling for 30 minutes you are doing too much.
In Closing
Buy a foam roller. Will it cure all of your ailments? No, it will not. But what do you have to lose?!
