Celebrate National Foam Rolling Day on May 11, and give your body the love it deserves!
One of my favorite ways to warm up the body for activity is foam rolling or self-myofascial release (SMR).
It's been called the poor man’s massage because it is inexpensive to do, you can do it with simple equipment and you don't need a massage therapist to get the benefits. Yes, you can do it to yourself....
I love the benefits of feeling looser, with less tightness, and less pain. It's a great way to start your day and reduce stress.
It can be a bit painful, especially if you are very tight or have physical issues.
I usually tell my clients that if it hurts - you need it! And the more you do it the less it hurts.
Think of it as smoothing out the kinks in your connective tissue that cause poor movement, tightness, and discomfort.
Like releasing the parking brake on the car so that it can move faster.
You may ask how much pain should you endure with foam rolling. Good question!
I use the 1 - 10 scale. 1= nothing 10= screaming pain. Work within a 6 - 8 range. If it is too painful your body will not release and it will tighten up or even cause injury.
This is where the implement you use is also important. Too soft is a nice massage and has benefits, but too hard can cause damage to the tissues.
You do not need to kill it to make the body respond, especially if you want to receive tension and lengthen tissues.
Done correctly and often foam rolling can alleviate muscle tightness, and improve flexibility and range of motion.
Everyone needs to be able to move freely. One of the big problems is that we get "stuck" or stiff and compensate our movements.
There are so many positive results from doing SMR regularly like:
Muscle Recovery
Increased circulation
Pain Reduction
Improved movement patterns
Speeds injury recovery
A few interesting facts about foam rolling and SMR
It is believed that Foam Rolling Originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Since the 19th century, myofascial release has been practiced to relieve muscle tension and improve mobility.
NASA uses foam rolling techniques for astronaut training and during post-mission recovery.
In 1987, using foam rolling as more than a physical therapy practice was introduced to the fitness industry.
In 1996, The first patent for a foam roller was filed, highlighting its increasing popularity amongst athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
In 2010, scientific studies showed that foam rolling can reduce muscle soreness, increase joint range of motion, and enhance recovery.
In 2015, National Foam Rolling Day was established to recognize the numerous physical and mental benefits encountered by foam rolling.
I hope that this blog was informative and possibly sparked your interest in doing some SMR.
If you would like some pointers or to take a lesson, book a session with me.
May 11 is National Foam Rolling Day, but you should make every day a foam rolling adventure.
ROCK & ROLL!
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