By Steve Barrett
Foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release, used to be a mysterious technique used exclusively by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists. Now, it’s a familiar (and very popular!) everyday practice for people of all fitness levels.
Foam rollers are used to aid recovery after a workout, releasing muscle tension to relieve pain, improve flexibility and hasten rehabilitation after an injury. Steve Barrett, a well-respected personal trainer, industry presenter and leading fitness brand consultant, shares a few tips and key exercises from his new book, Total Foam Rolling Techniques.
The first time you “roll,” you will undoubtedly think that you are doing something wrong, as it is often very painful. For most people, the most sensitive areas of your body are best described as "hot spots" (or trigger points). These hot spots are spread throughout the body where there is a natural tendency for higher amounts of tension or inflammation — generally they are where a selection of muscles or tendons attach to or cross multiple joints. This translates to these spots being amongst the most painful (but productive) areas to foam roll.
Each of these small areas needs to be pinpointed and slowly rolled for 1 to 2 minutes each. Any shorter period at this stage of your training will have significantly less benefit. My advice is roll as often as you can — with the goal being twice a day for each hot spot.
The good news is that you don’t need to “warm up” or be wearing any special exercise clothing, nor do you have to necessarily do all the hot spots at once, so you can spread their treatment throughout the day if that helps — just do your best. Continue until you feel that you have had a positive effect on the hot spots — that could mean 4 to 6 weeks of constant work.
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