How To Use A Foam Roller Correctly To Exercise And Relax?

Friends who are reading this news must be newbies or friends who are actively exercising. I hope that this article on foam roller will lead you to re-understand it and its benefits, and improve your life happiness index and health index.

Speaking of foam rollers, almost every fitness party has a love-hate relationship. The first time we met, it was painful and happy at the same time, with tears in my smile...

People with a good figure can't stop with it...I haven't seen you for a few days, and I still miss it...

What is Foam Roller?

The foam roller is a self-massage tool that helps increase flexibility and accelerate muscle recovery. Reduce muscle tension.

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique (SMR, Self-Myofascial Release) that is widely used by athletes and sports rehabilitation practitioners.

What is the Use of Foam Roller?

1. Reduce the risk of tissue adhesion

After soft tissue such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia are injured, when the collagen fibers are repaired again, they will not grow completely in the original order and may be connected to other layers of fascia.

Using a foam roller can reduce the risk of collagen adhesions between muscle tissues.

2. Improve joint range of motion

Fascia relaxation can reduce tissue stress, relieve muscle tension, and increase joint range of motion.

When there are adhesions between tissues, it will cause the muscles to continue to shorten, thereby increasing the pressure around the muscles and limiting the range of motion of the joints.

One advantage of foam rolling over static stretching is that it generally does not impair subsequent muscle strength, jump height, sprint time, and endurance. Regular use of a foam roller to relax fascia can reduce muscle tension, help maintain joint range of motion, and increase overall sports performance.

3. Reduce soreness and promote recovery

Use a foam roller after training to reduce soreness and promote recovery.

4. Maintain good muscle length

The movement of our joints requires the coordinated cooperation of a series of muscles to maintain it. If one of them becomes tense, it will cause an imbalance in muscle operation.

Using a foam roller can help maintain normal muscle length and tension.

What is the principle of foam roller relaxation?

Fascia is the network of connective tissue surrounding our muscles that supports and protects them.

Think back to when you went to the market to buy meat. Is there a thin white film between the meat?

Yes, that's myofascia!

Fascia can become "tight" at certain times, such as after a long run, injury, or long-term inactivity.

Foam rolling is actually about loosening the fascia around the muscles and stretching the "hard knots" in the muscles, which are also called trigger points or myofascial adhesions.

The pain increases when the trigger point is touched; in severe cases, the pain may be unbearable and joint movement may be limited.

Self-fascial release technique mainly utilizes the principle of self-inhibition. The foam roller and the practitioner's own body weight are used to generate a certain amount of pressure on the muscles, increase muscle tension, and activate the Golgi tendon organ that senses changes in muscle tension.

There are so many foam rollers, what's the difference? 

Foam rollers on the market vary in density, hardness, and shape, and are suitable for different people and uses.

① Features of low-density foam roller: low density and low hardness. It is the lightest foam roller on the market; when you sit on it, it will feel very soft. To relax after strength training, a low-density foam roller is more suitable. There will be some discomfort when using a foam roller at first, but as your body continues to adapt, this discomfort will gradually lessen; you can choose a foam roller with a harder texture to achieve better results.

② Characteristics of a foam roller with a harder texture: high density and high hardness. It is the foam roller with the highest density on the market. If you want stronger, deeper and more concentrated fascia relaxation, it is the best choice. However, if you feel that your pain is getting worse or your muscles are getting tighter, it is better to choose a low-density foam roller.

③ Features of short foam rollers: Portable, flexible, soft and hard short foam rollers are also divided into two types: low density and hard. It is only half the length of a regular foam roller. The short foam roller is easier to use and can be used on small muscle groups; it is also more convenient to carry and can be stuffed into the suitcase when traveling.

④ Features of the mace foam roller: The multi-point stimulation mace foam roller is designed to directly hit the trigger points in the muscles, thereby helping to quickly relax and relax. People who often use computers will have tight shoulders, necks, and backs, so using a mace foam roller is perfect because it can stimulate multiple trigger points in one area.

⑤ Medium density foam roller

Features: Medium density, medium hardness

If you are not sure which type of foam roller is best for you, you can try a model with moderate density first. A medium-density foam roller is suitable for all purposes, whether you plan to use it to stretch or relax sore muscles.

After the Golgi tendon organ is activated, it inhibits the muscle spindles that sense changes in muscle length, ultimately reducing the degree of muscle contraction and allowing the muscles to relax.

7 Common Mistakes 

1: Choosing the wrong foam roller Want to use the right foam roller? First, you need to choose the right foam roller that suits you.

The first step: choose the texture. For beginners, it is best to choose a foam roller with a less hard texture. Until the body gets used to the pressure, you can try to use a harder foam roller, or even a mace foam roller.

Step 2: Choose the size. In addition, you also need to consider the size of the foam roller. If you want to relax a large muscle group, such as the hamstrings on the back of the thigh, then you need a foam roller with a larger diameter; a foam roller with a smaller diameter is more suitable for small muscle groups, such as the forearms. There are many dizzying foam rollers on the market. You can choose the one that suits you best from the texture and shape. 2: Rolling too fast. Many people like to do it hastily when rolling the foam roller because it hurts too much... But this is a mistake. Rolling too fast will only accelerate the blood flow in that area. , although it is said that there will be some gains, it does not achieve the desired effect of relaxing the fascia.

3: Roll every day. Some people may think that the more frequently you roll, the better the effect will be? But in fact, fascia relaxation is just like training. If you trained very hard the day before, you should rest the next day. After the fascia is relaxed, it also takes time to recover. Rolling it every day can even cause more inflammation and pain.

4: Roll down the back Our lower back is more susceptible to injury than the upper back. If the movement is improper, it is very likely to injure the spine and even aggravate back pain. If you have chronic back pain, you can try relaxing your hip or hamstring muscles first, which will also relieve your back pain.

5: Poor posture When performing foam roller relaxation, in addition to the parts that need to be relaxed, other muscle groups must also cooperate to maintain the balance and stability of the body. If the movements are loose and the posture is bad, it will not only fail to achieve the purpose of relaxation, but will also put excessive pressure on certain parts, which is counterproductive.

6: Forget to breathe Finally, this is also a mistake that many people make, that is, forget to breathe, and even hold their breath involuntarily. Breathing normally while foam rolling can help further relax your muscles. Focus on the process of inhaling and exhaling, and slowly you will find that your body will be more relaxed and less painful. How to use foam roller correctly? Place the muscles that need to be relaxed on the foam roller, use your own body weight to repeatedly roll on the foam roller, and roll slowly for 1 to 2 minutes; if you feel pain during the rolling process, stay on the pain point for 20 to 30 seconds. Until the pain level decreases by 50% to 75%; Keep the core tightened during the process to ensure stability during the movement; Maintain normal breathing during the process and do not hold your breath. How about it? Have you acquired all the knowledge today?

I hope that after reading this article, it can help you in some ways.

As a manufacturer of foam rollers, we are professional, if you have any other questions you want to discuss with us, please feel free to contact us.