1 2 Secrets To Success 5 Foam Roller Longitudinal Mobilisation 3 Foam Roller Horizontal Mobilization Foam Roller Quadriceps Rolling Foam rolling, also known as Self-Myofascial Release was once used only by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists but is now becoming a familiar everyday practice for people at all levels of fitness. Fascia is the soft tissue portion of the connective tissue in the muscle, providing support and protection. The fascia can become restricted due to overuse, trauma, and inactivity. Recent technology, information and affordable products have introduced an increasing range of recovery and training approaches to the average person. Foam Roller Glute/Hamstring Rolling IT Band and TFL Rolling 5 Foam Rolling Benefits Utilizing stretching alone is not always enough to release muscles tightness, which is why foam rollers have thrived on the mass market. Releasing trigger points helps to re-establish proper movement patterns and pain free movement, and ultimately, to enhance performance. For example, imagine a bungee cord with a knot tied into it and then imagine stretching the cord. This creates tension, stretching the unknotted portion of the muscle and the attachment points. The knot, however, has remained unaltered. Foam rolling can assist in breaking up these muscle knots, resuming normal blood flow and function. 1
Why Am I Doing Something That Hurts? What happens after rolling? For many, deep tissue massage is easy to understand. Ideally someone is able to work out the knots in your muscles, and it is commonly known this process may be uncomfortable and at times painful. Self-myofascial release provides the user the ability to control the healing and recovery process by applying pressure in precise locations, because only you can feel exactly what is happening. It is always recommended to consult with your physician or physical therapist for pain and receive approval before starting selfmyofascial release. For most people you will be cleared immediately and your doctor will encourage the practice. You may be sore the next day. It should feel as if your muscles have been worked/released, however you should not push yourself to the point of excessive soreness. Drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and eat clean. This will help to flush your system and fuel your muscles more effectively. Give it 2-8 hours before focusing on the same area again. Here are my 5 favorite Foam Rolling Mobilizations. Try each one and if you feel better after any or all, add them to your stretch program. They are best done before your stretches, as you will get more stretch release after the fascia has been rolled. 2
Foam Roller Longitudinal Mobilisation WHY: There are two major benefits of lying on a foam roller. The first is to allow the anterior muscles of the chest and neck to gently stretch. The pectoral muscles and neck muscles tend to accommodate to a sustained forward position and become abnormally short and tight. Lying on a foam roll for five to ten minutes after work will help to reverse this effect. The second benefit involves allowing the thoracic spine, or middle back, to relax into a more neutral position. Just as the chest and neck muscles become tight and pulled forward from sedentary office work, so too does the thoracic spine. When the thoracic spine retains good mobility and is allowed to relax into extension, the muscles of the upper back will actually function better. The lower and middle trapezium muscles in particular have been shown to stall out and become very ineffective when the upper back is stiff and excessively forward. 1. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. This will help to protect your lower back from unnecessary strain. 2. Make sure that your head is adequately supported by the foam roller. Some people will need extra support behind their head in order to maintain a comfortable stretch. Place an extra towel or small pillow if necessary for neck comfort. Under no circumstances should you ever have your head off the roller and resting on the floor. Purchase your Foam Roller Online in the Celebrity Trainer Shop $.00 3. LYING ON A FOAM ROLLER SHOULD NEVER BE PAINFUL. Some people however will simply not be able to tolerate lying on a roller that is too hard. If you encounter pain despite making the above adjustments, try lying on a rolled up towel or blanket instead. You will still get some of the benefit!. Do not sleep on your foam roller or towel roll. It is possible to strain nerves in the neck and shoulder if you stay on a roller for too long. 5. It is a great idea to stretch out on a roller prior to performing back exercises. As previously mentioned, a more flexible spine will enable your back muscles to function better. 3
Foam Roller Horizontal Mobilization Lay face up with a foam roller horizontally placed under your shoulder blades. Bend your knees and place your feet flat. With your hands cradling the weight of your head, lean back until you feel a stretch in your chest and concentrated pressure at a point in your upper back. - Curl up to return to a neutral long spine, lift your hips and reposition yourself so the foam roller is about one inch up or down. Lower your hips, lean back again. To release through the shoulder blades place your elbows out to the side, for a more concentrated mobilization of the thoracic spine, point your elbows up to the ceiling. Foam Roller Quadriceps Rolling 6. - Begin by supporting your bodyweight in a pressup position with a foam roller positioned lengthways between your quads and the floor. 7. - Roll the quad muscles from the hip down to the knee. 8. - Pause for 10 seconds on any tight or painful areas to work out the tension and repeat for the whole muscle. Foam Roller Glute/Hamstring Rolling 1. - Begin by sitting on the roller, slightly to one side, supporting your bodyweight on your hands. 2. - Roll the glute muscle side to side and up and down, covering the whole area. 3. To increase the stretch and pressure on the piriformis cross the same side ankle over onto the other knee, continue rolling.. - Pause for 10 seconds on any tight or painful areas to work out the tension and repeat for the whole muscle. 5.
IT Band and TFL Rolling WHY: The IT Band can become tight from running, tight glutes and poor posture. Shortened, it can pull the side of the knee upwards, causing knee pain and knee alignment issues. If rolling the IT Band, make sure you roll out the glutes too as they are the likely cause of the tightness in the first place. Lie down on one side, propping yourself up with one elbow, and position the foam roller just under your hip. Now, move your body forward so that the roller works itself down on the outside of your thigh; stop when you get to your knee. Roll in a gradual, slow motion, and when you reach your knee, reverse directions back up to your hip. Adjust the amount of tension by applying more or less of your body weight on the roller. If you're new at this, your IT band will probably be tender, and you might not even need to apply much weight before you feel it. Common Mistakes of foam rolling Advice from Sue Hitzmann, MS, CST, NMT, manual therapist, creator and author of The MELT Method. Mistake #1: You roll directly where you feel pain. When we feel pain, our first inclination is to massage that spot directly. However, this might be a big mistake. Areas of pain are the victims that result from tension imbalances in other areas of the body. The fix: Go indirect before direct. If you find a spot that's sensitive, it's a cue to ease away from that area by a few inches. Take time and work a more localized region around areas that feel sore before using larger, sweeping motions. For the IT band, work on the primary muscles that attach to the IT band first - specifically the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle in the buttocks) and the tensor fasciae latae (a muscle that runs along the outer edge of the hip). 5
Mistake #2: You roll too fast. While it might feel great to roll back and forth on a foam roller quickly, you're not actually eliminating any adhesions that way. You need to give your brain enough time to tell your muscles to relax. The fix: Go slower so that the superficial layers and muscles have time to adapt and manage the compression. Feel where the tender spots are with the roller, and use short, slow rolls over that spot. Mistake #3: You spend too much time on those knots. We're often told that if you feel a knot, spend time working that spot with the foam roller. However, some people will spend five to 10 minutes or more on the same area and attempt to place their entire body weight onto the foam roller. If you place sustained pressure on one body part, you might actually hit a nerve or damage the tissue, which can cause bruising. The fix: Spend 20 seconds on each tender spot then move on. You can also manage how much body weight you use. For example, when working your IT band, plant the foot of your leg on the floor to take some of the weight off the roller. Mistake #: You have bad posture. Wait, what does your posture have to do with foam rolling? A lot. You have to hold your body in certain positions over the roller, says Lu and that requires a lot of strength. When rolling out the IT band, you are supporting your upper body weight with one arm. When you roll out the quads, you are essentially holding a plank position. If you don't pay attention to your form or posture, you may exacerbate pre-existing postural deviations and cause more harm. The fix: Work with an experienced exercise physiologist, physical therapist or coach who can show you proper form and technique. Or doing it in front of a mirror to view your posture. Mistake #5: You use the foam roller on your lower back. "The thing that makes me cringe is when people foam roll their lower back. You should never ever do that," says Lu. Your spine will freak out and all the spinal muscles will contract and protect the spine. The fix: You can use the foam roller on your upper back because the shoulder blades and muscles protect the spine. Once you hit the end of the rib cage, stop. If you want to release your lower back, try child's pose or foam roll the muscles that connect to your lower back -- the piriformis (a muscle located deep within the glutes), hip flexors and rectus femoris (one of the main muscles in your quads). Most importantly, understand what the origin of your pain is before you start. Know what you are trying to achieve through foam rolling and how to do it properly. And don't forget to stick with it. To get the benefits of self-massage, it's repeated exposure that's most important. You have to show up and put in the work. Emily Drew - Celebrity Trainer 201 Eat & Train Like the A-Listers 6