Foam rolling has some benefits the most important reason being due to Myofascial release. Myofascial release is the application of low-intensity forces to soft tissues over a long period of time. Essentially, the purpose is to allow contracted muscles to relax, which improves blood flow and nutrient flow to the area. The effect is that muscles operate with smoother motion because of reduced internal rubbing. But many people think it does things that it just doesn’t do. So let’s layout the true benefits that we get when using a foam roller.
So what does foam rolling do for us?
- Increased blood flow.
- Myofascial release via foam rolling exercises stretches and loosens muscles. By applying force to your muscles and connective tissue over time, blood is squeezed out and replaced by a flood of fresh blood.
- Improved Flexibility
- Better hydrated and looser muscles move past one another with less friction. This means that during a workout, movements are smoother and muscles are less likely to be pulled or damaged. Foam rolling before a workout as part of a dynamic warm-up is especially effective for myofascial release.
- Decreased risk injury
- As stated before, self-massage increases circulation throughout the body. Better circulation means a better range of motion and more effective body movements.
- Overall, myofascial release from foam rolling reduces the chance of injury because coordination of the body is improved. This means that the likelihood of an improper movement leading to injury is reduced significantly.
- Decreased recovery time
- Foam rolling is an effective means to draw blood to an injured area, but also decreases recovery time between workouts. This is especially true of foam rolling after a workout has been completed.
- After a workout, muscles and joints become sore because of the build-up of waste products such as lactic acid. When performed post-workout, a self-massage acts to wash the acid away by recruiting fresh blood and nutrients to the fatigued muscle groups.
- The faster that exhausted muscles can receive the adequate nutrients for recovery, the faster they can rebuild.
Train with Eytan in Hendon/North west London/NW4
