The Benefits Of Foam Rolling

Exercise nut or not don’t forget to do this at home or in the gym








Something like 20 minutes on a foam roller is practically as good as a sports massage that doesn’t break your budget.



Maybe you have seen folks in the gym foam rolling and assume it's just for really serious sports athletes but that is far from the truth. Yet there are many reasons why massaging out the tight knots in muscle tissue is an important part of your workout routine, even if you already stretch regularly. Why? Simply because you stretch, doesn’t mean that there is no build-up of fascia. Fascia produces muscle knots which don't go away, and can lead to many different issues.
Foam rollers can be utilized to massage away fascia build-up in your muscles.



Aids in preventing common injuries. Probably the biggest reasons for a foam-rolling routine are to avoid those way too common exercise-related injuries. Numerous runners, for example, turn out to be painfully familiar with their IT band when they not massage the band of tissue. IT band syndrome and other similar flare-ups can be caused by too-tight muscles. Foam rolling every day ensures you are massaging away fascia buildup in your muscles, in order to help prevent those areas from becoming injury trigger points.



Assists you to manage stress. Had a rough day? Foam roll your problems away. Digging for those knots releases tension that is built up in the connective tissue to keep you less stressed," Try a simple all-over body routine in order to fight the "desk posture blues" that happen from sitting too long.



Keeps you flexible. Building up your flexibility is important for any fitness program.
And that means you regularly should be stretching and performing exercises that'll assist you to improve your flexibility. Stretches that lengthen your hip flexors, for example, might help fight tightness from sitting in addition to lower back pain.



Roller Exercises to Try



Calf:


This move is the perfect move for after a long run.


Sit on the ground with your legs straight, left leg crossed over the right, with the roller under your right calf.


Lift your bum off the ground so that your weight is supported by your hands and the roller.


Roll the length of your calf from the back of your knee to the Achilles tendon.


Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds and switch legs.


When you find a really sore spot, stay still and let the flesh of the muscles sink into the roll



Shins:


This is a great move when you feel shin splints starting.


Start on your hands and knees with the roller placed on your shins just under your knees.


Keep your hands still and roll your knees toward your hands, bringing roller almost to ankles.


Roll for 30 to 60 seconds.


Change the angle by twisting to right so the right shin has more contact with roller for a few repetitions then twist to the left.


Bonus: This works your abs and core a bit too.



Back:

Feels awesome after a long bike ride or day at the computer.
Start lying face up with the roller underneath your shoulder blades. Interlace your fingers and place them behind your head to support the weight of your skull.

Push with your feet to roll up and down your upper back.

Roll from shoulder blades to the mid-back (keep the roller where you have ribs)

---