Do you like that sore feeling after a workout? Do you like feeling your muscles tighten up as they cool down? Do you like being inflexible, and prone to injury?
If you do, you can stop reading this post now. It’s not for you.
For the rest of you, we have some good news.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Foam rolling is a great way to reduce soreness, increase mobility and flexibility, and reduce the risk of injury.
And anyone can do it.
Anyone who ever played high school sports knows the importance of warming up and stretching your muscles before and after a workout. Stretching your muscles reduces the risk of pulling or tearing them.
But think about this. If you grab a rubber band with a knot in the middle of it and pull on both sides, what happens? The band will stretch, but the knot remains. You’ll never be able to stretch the band to its full capacity before it snaps.
It’s the same with your muscles. If there’s a knot in your muscles, you’ll never get the full range of motion from your muscles before they pull or tear.
Foam rolling releases the knot. Think of it like ironing a wrinkled sheet.
Once that knot is gone, you can then restore your muscles to their full range of motion. Your flexibility and your circulation will improve, increasing healing to the areas you’ve ironed out.
It’s the same thing a good massage can do for you, but in some ways its better than massage. When you foam roll, you can target the exact area you need, for as long as you need. Also, you know exactly how much pressure to apply, while a massage therapist needs to guess.
How do you do it? It’s as simple as it sounds. First get yourself a foam roller. We have them in various places throughout the club, or you can buy one at our pro shop to take home with you.
Once you have your roller, lay on it with the area you’re targeting directly on it. Put more or less of your body weight on the area, based on your needs and comfort level. Then roll. It’s that easy.
To learn the eight different roller exercises you can do to get the most out of your foam rolling experience, click here.
Remember, stretching is very important to maintaining overall muscle health, but it’s only half the story. To really keep your body flexible, and to not injure yourself, you need to add foam rolling to your workout routine.
We wish you good health,
Columbia Basin Racquet Club