Knots, Kinks, and Roly things

For those that have been to any basketball pre-game warm-ups and been there early enough to watch the team stretch, you may have seen them using a twelve or thirty one inch long round piece of foam. You also may have wondered, What is that thing for?.  Over the years these practices have been adopted from a European inspired process that focuses on a hands-on type of message on soft tissue. 

Basically foam rolling is for myofascial release, or a self message for (MAT) Muscle Activation,

and (ART)  Active Release Therapy.

 Well, what is a foam roller, and how do you use a foam roller? 

A foam roller is a cylindrical piece of some type of  hard-celled foam. Kind of like pool noodles, larger in diameter and much more dense and around 12-32 inches long. Some rollers are smooth and some have ridges or bumps/knobs on them. Most come in an array of colors.  I have also seen some that are hollow with a hard ridge inside. Its best to try a few types out and see what works best for you.

Initially the use of the foam roller was used as an acupressure technique rather than a message technique.  How you use it is simple.You use the foam roller to apply pressure to sore and sensitive muscles by applying your body weight. These sensitive areas are known as trigger points, knots, or kinks. These areas are typically areas that have more muscle density. You apply pressure by adding your body weight in certain areas on top of the roller.You sit on and or roll over these areas to release tension.

Now how does this apply to your world? Well you don't have to be an elite athlete to get the benefits of foam rolling. They are very useful to those that jog, run, or just work out. I was introduced to foam rolling through P90X2. Every workout incorporates the use of foam rolling except yoga. By nature I am very flexible, not to say I don't need to work at it because I do. However foam rolling has exposed some areas in my body that I need to work on. I never realized how much tension was in my calves and quads. These areas don't give me major problems when I work out, but boy do I feel it when I use the foam roller.
I also recently watched a video by Dr. Mark Cheng explains plantar fasciitis Click Here Dr Cheng video. He explains how problems in the feet may be linked to the tendons and muscles in the calf as they all tie into one another.  I wouldn't think my feet hurt because I have tight calf muscles. The point is that we all may have trouble points in our bodies that are tied to another weakness area and not even know it.
I recommend the use of foam rolling to anyone doing P90X, P90X2, Insanity, Insanity Asylum, or Turbo Fire. If you are a runner or do any type of intense workouts I would highly recommend trying foam rolling. See if it exposes areas you need to work on more and see what added benefits it may bring to your fitness.

To check out the foam roller I recommend and use click the click here .