The Benefits of Foam Rolling: Self Myofascial Release
What is myofascia? I'm sure my osteopathic friends out there feel like they have heard this word millions of times in osteopathic medicine :). Myofascia is the tissue and the thin membranes that surround your muscles and bones. When you workout you cause little breaks in these fascia and in the muscle- don't worry it is a good thing- that after a workout heal and get stronger. However, sometimes when you overwork a muscle, do not give your body proper time to heal, do not use proper form, or are already injured, your fascia can become scared. Scared fascia is not as stretching and can cause decreased flexibility and chronic muscle dysfunction.
There are many many ways to prevent this- warming up properly before exercise, making sure you have variety in your workouts, stretching, warm down, massages and more. I like foam rolling because I can do it on my own, it does not cost any money (unlike massages although they are nice sometimes too :)) and can be done at the gym, home, or even on vacation (we have brought a foam roller on a skiing vacation haha).
So how does foam rolling work? By using your body weight as pressure and rolling to stretch the muscle it breaks down the scars or adhesions between the tissue layers (or in the myofascia). This increases blood flow, range of motion, and decreases muscle dysfunction. Kind of sounds like osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) right?!? If any wants more information OMM just message me and I can do a post on that.
So, how do I use a foam roller? You can use it before a workout to help increase your range of motion and warm your muscles up. You see this done a lot by Crossfit/lifters. You can use it after... which is what I do. I find foam rolling makes me sore for a little. I mean it is breaking down the scars and adhesions, so it kind of makes sense. But, then my muscles start to feel better as the myofascia loosens up and I can feel my flexibility get better.
Here are so go to movements with a foam roller. I took this picture from Fitness Gear 4 U (I am all about using the resources out there and not re-inventing the wheel haha). Roll each are 5-10 times.
And here is the foam roller Mike and I bought off of amazon.
Quick Summary: Foam rolling is one way to help break down the tight myofascia between your muscle and bones to improve your workout recovery and flexibility.
References:
Kalichman, L., David, C.B., 2017. Effect of self-myofascial release on myofascial pain, muscle flexibility, and strength: a narrative review. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 21 (2), 446e451.
Fitness Gear website: https://fitnessgear4u.co.nz/
There are many many ways to prevent this- warming up properly before exercise, making sure you have variety in your workouts, stretching, warm down, massages and more. I like foam rolling because I can do it on my own, it does not cost any money (unlike massages although they are nice sometimes too :)) and can be done at the gym, home, or even on vacation (we have brought a foam roller on a skiing vacation haha).
So how does foam rolling work? By using your body weight as pressure and rolling to stretch the muscle it breaks down the scars or adhesions between the tissue layers (or in the myofascia). This increases blood flow, range of motion, and decreases muscle dysfunction. Kind of sounds like osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) right?!? If any wants more information OMM just message me and I can do a post on that.
So, how do I use a foam roller? You can use it before a workout to help increase your range of motion and warm your muscles up. You see this done a lot by Crossfit/lifters. You can use it after... which is what I do. I find foam rolling makes me sore for a little. I mean it is breaking down the scars and adhesions, so it kind of makes sense. But, then my muscles start to feel better as the myofascia loosens up and I can feel my flexibility get better.
Here are so go to movements with a foam roller. I took this picture from Fitness Gear 4 U (I am all about using the resources out there and not re-inventing the wheel haha). Roll each are 5-10 times.
And here is the foam roller Mike and I bought off of amazon.
Quick Summary: Foam rolling is one way to help break down the tight myofascia between your muscle and bones to improve your workout recovery and flexibility.
References:
Kalichman, L., David, C.B., 2017. Effect of self-myofascial release on myofascial pain, muscle flexibility, and strength: a narrative review. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 21 (2), 446e451.
Fitness Gear website: https://fitnessgear4u.co.nz/
It's a nice information "Myofascia is the tissue and the thin membranes that surround your muscles and bones" and foam roller exercise is really a new techniques for me but its looking amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this article. I like your way of writing. IASTM tool will reduce recovery time and soreness while helping to heal soft tissue damage.
ReplyDelete