Instructions for Using a Foam Roller

Foam rollers are an excellent tool for speeding up recovery and taking care of muscle soreness through self myofascial release. If used properly, foam rollers help reduce scar tissue accumulation and adhesion and help improve muscle tone, in addition to helping prevent injuries and (over time) ease the ones you've got.

  1. The Details

    • According to athletic performance specialists Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson, muscles need to be pliable as well as strong, regardless of your sport. "Traditional stretching techniques simply cause transient increases in muscle length (assuming that we don't exceed the "point of no return" on the stress-strain curve, which will lead to unwanted deformities). SMR on the foam roller, on the other hand, offers these benefits and breakdown of soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue," they point out in their article Feel Better For Ten Bucks. You'll need to pick up a foam roller. If there isn't one available at your local sporting goods store or gym, you can buy one online. Some good options include Perform Better's 1' roller ($9.95) or More Durable Foam Roller Plus ($39.95).

      Now that you're sold on foam rolling, you'll need to learn the technique. You basically use the weight of your body on the foam roller to release tension. Starting out very slowly is a wise idea, since some areas may be incredibly painful. In fact, it is these tender spots that are the best place to start, slowly. Once your pain is reduced in these areas, you can switch to other ones. Over time, you'll apply more body weight to the roller to increase the pressure. Some people prefer to work the top half of each area first and then move onto the bottom half.

      For specific techniques on foam rolling each area of your body, check out http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/feel_better_for_10_bucks.

      By the way, if you have a chronic pain disease (such as fibromyalgia) or a circulatory problem, foam rolling is a bad idea.