My 27th birthday was last week and what did I buy myself?! A foam roller. Does everyone else seem to get more lame each year or is it just me? Donny probably would have let me get anything I wanted…well almost anything…and I decided a foam roller was what I needed.
(Photo: Walmart.com)
I bought this foam roller at Walmart in Fort Morgan. It is a Gold’s Gym high-density 24″ foam roller and it was about $18.00. Not only am I happy with my $18.00 purchase, but it is my new addiction. I have been doing research on foam rolling for a few weeks now and finally committed (most likely because I felt I could splurge on that for my birthday…since I never spend $18.00 on silly things……). I have looked at a lot of graphics for foam rolling and watched a few videos. Yet none of those things prepared me for the discomfort I would feel while using it. Good discomfort, but I won’t lie, major discomfort.
My hips are really tight and stretching my IT band makes me feel it from my butt all the way down my legs…and rolling it out of a large piece of foam is not as soothing as it might sound. In yoga there is a pose called Frog that stretches your hips, inner thighs, and groin (here is a picture and description from YogaBasics.com). This particular pose is so uncomfortable for me that the only thing I can manage to do is giggle…which to do in a silent yoga room is quite awkward! Anyway, it is so painful (in a good way) that I cannot do anything but sit in that position and laugh. Well foam rolling does the same thing to me, it just allows me to get to that uncomfortable feeling in various places.
One spot that surprised me it hurt so much were my quads…they get sore after leg days but I tend to notice the tightness in my hamstrings more often. Oddly thought, when I foam roll it is extremely painful on the quads and just so-so for my hamstrings.
(Photo: Walmart.com)
Let’s talk about what foam rolling does and how it can help you. I liked the way they described foam rolling in this article in Men’s Health: think of it as ironing out the wrinkles in your rumpled musculature.
Foam rolling smooths and lengthens your muscles while breaking up scar tissue. Foam rolling can increase blood circulation, relieve stressed muscles. increase range of motion, and ultimately help prevent injury. Now I said it before, foam rolling is very uncomfortable, but well worth it.
If you have access to a foam roller or even have your own then roll away! The most common places to use it are the calves, quads, IT band, hips, etc. My trainer, Jodi, gave me some good advice the other day. She said “get creative” with where you foam roll. I took that advice and did just that. It’s amazing the places you are tight and had no idea! Foam rolling helps get to those places that stretching doesn’t. I roll on my upper back, each arm, my legs….I have been experimenting and figuring out how to work each body part. Again, my quads are brutal. It is extremely uncomfortable for me to focus on those muscles, but hopefully in the long run it will help.
If you find a tight place or a painful spot, hold it on that spot for 10-30 seconds before continuing to roll again. Sometimes I can make it last 30 seconds but other times I have to move on and come back to that spot. Also, try to roll very slowly. Embrace being uncomfortable! Take your time and you’ll reap the benefits!
Foam rolling before you exercise is best, but it’ll help loosen you up no matter when you have time to do it. Since I work out super early in the morning, I don’t typically have enough time to foam roll like I would prefer prior to working out (and getting up 30 minutes earlier in the 4am hour just isn’t going to happen….).
Have you tried foam rolling? Do you love it or hate it? Share any tips!
