The Poor Man's Massage
Self Myofascial Release
The Foam Roller is the most useful for self-myofascial release, a massage technique designed to loosen up tight soft tissue in the body. When done regularly, foam rolling can help reduce the amount of tight spots in a muscle, which are known as trigger points, and greatly improve mobility, which leads to a reduced risk of injury. Using a foam roller is called self-myofascial release because you can use the roller on your own body--you don't need to use a physical therapist or masseuse for the benefits of myofascial release.
Although there is no direct research on when to roll, how often to roll, or how long to roll, I typically roll before and after my workouts holding the roller in place for 20 to 30 seconds on each trigger point.
10 common trigger points to target with the roller
* Some of these exercises may be painful in the beginning, but within a few weeks, the quality of your muscle tissue will improve.
Quadriceps
Adductors
IT band
Glute/Piriformis
Lower Back
Upper Back
Hamstrings
Calves
Latissimus Dorsi
Neck
Additional tools used for SMR:
- The RumbleRoller
- The Grid
- The stick
- Lacrosse ball (great for the upper back!)
- Tennis ball
All of these methods provide economical unlimited self-massage, can't beat that!!
References:
http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PBOnePieceView?storeId=10151&catalogId=10751&languageId=-1&pagename=225
The first time I tried SMR, I literally cried out from the pain! After constatnt use-- before & after each workout, the majority of my sore spots were gone. I've used the two on the top of your picture & use the one on the left the most; I find it give a more constant pressure.
ReplyDeleteI help coach track & field & some of my athletes were complaining about being sore. I tossed them a tennis ball and received a weird look. I told them to trust me & then instructed them what to do. They cried out just like me, & I chuckled because I knew what they were going through. I explained how it works & gave them the tennis ball to bring home to work on their muscles until they could go to the store.