Why foam rolling?
Let me start off by saying foam rolling isn't some magical way to fix an injury or to fix all of your dysfunction. The way I look at foam rolling is just another tool in your gym “tool belt”. Also if you're experiencing severe pain when doing any type of activity please go see a doctor. With that being said the question at hand is, why foam rolling? Well, there are a couple of reasons why I recommend foam rolling to anyone at any level.
Desensitization is a treatment technique used to modify how sensitive an area is to particular stimuli. This technique is utilized to decrease, or normalize, the body's response to particular sensations. So think about it like this, our shoulders are tight in the overhead position. So how would we foam roll to help get into the overhead position? First, we need to think about what muscle groups would negatively affect the shoulder in the overhead position. In most cases, I start with the lat, teres minor, and serratus muscles, which can limit your ability to put your arms overhead. The way we foam roll these areas is not to just passively go up and down on the roller; this is an absolute waste of your time. The method that you should use is called tack and floss. This method calls for you to move your body but will also call for small movements of the foam roller, I'll explain, first let’s go over moving your body. These are not giant motions if you can move in big movements then you're not in the right area with the foam roller. First, find a spot that makes you go “oof”, this shouldn't be super painful just enough that you're not happy about it. Once you find this area you will bring the joint in this case the shoulder through the range of motion that is bothering you. Do not become complacent with that spot and find new spots. I like to put a timer on for about a minute and only move when it starts becoming less uncomfortable, sometimes you will be in one spot the entire minute. Now option two is moving the roller itself, usually I use this method when the area is super tender. Now again this isn't a huge motion. These are tiny little oscillations. Think about it like trying to scrub little chunks off of a pan after cooking. Like the first method, you will find new spots that are tender. And remember if there is extreme pain go to the doctor.
It makes stretching easier. I am not a fan of stretching, I'm not naturally bendy, so I am very uncomfortable when I'm stretching. But because of the desensitization of foam rolling, I am able to get into better positions when trying to stretch. I'm not saying that out of nowhere I'm a world-class yogi but it does make things a little bit more manageable. Now stretching for performance is a subject for another blog post, but what I will say is stretching is a virtual part of training and should be used in your warm-up and cool-down. The reason that making stretching easier is important is that you should be stretching areas that are tight, not areas that are already mobile.
They are cheap and can be done anywhere and anytime. A good nickname for foam rollers is a poor man's masseuse, now I'm not trying to insult anyone. I'm just saying that I know I cannot afford to get a massage multiple times a week at any time of the day. So a great alternative is a foam roller.
These are just a couple of reasons why I like foam rolling but the foam roller is only one of many tools in a method called tack and floss which was discussed earlier. There are A LOT of tools on the market that I like using that have the same principles. (I will link some of my favorites.) There are also a bunch of different foam rollers on the market and to be honest some companies' claims are out of this world so here is a rule of thumb if it seems too aggressive or causes significant pain it's not the roller for you. Hope this helps. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post!!
Here are just a couple of my favorites:
