An Overlooked Asset: Foam Rolling

Whether you are a newbie in the fitness realm or a lifetime athlete, introducing foam rolling into your routine will balance the acute and chronic stresses placed within the body. Not only that, but understanding how to use it properly can be life changing for many veterans-of-exercise, as I know if I showed my father a foam roller as he trained for is up-teenth marathon, he would rest his head on it and fall asleep. This blog will introduce foam rolling, and help create a solution to properly learn.

When it comes to foam rolling, its purpose is key. In order for you to sustain exercise, foam rolling is an effective way to lengthen and soften the muscles. It gives your body the opportunity to rebuild, strengthen, and heal as you stress them with physical exercise. It is the same with your teeth - if you ate all day without brushing them, eventually your teeth would degenerate and break down. When your muscles begin to break down with lack of proper stretching, that is when a lot of muscle tears, muscular spasms, and even back and disc injuries happen.

Purpose of Foam Rolling

• Create circulation for trigger points : tight patches of contracted tissue that restrict blood flow
• Lengthen and Soften Muscles : pliability and flexibility go hand in hand with strengthening
• Sustainability : when results are easier to attain, exercise becomes more fun, as will less exercise related soreness
• Increase energy : get things moving! While circulating blood flow, you will release stress hormones and lower cortisol levelsPrevent Injury : balance overuse injuries caused by over-burdened muscles that have not had the environment to rebuild and lengthen. More articles

When Foam Rolling is Your Best Asset

Utilizing foam rolling prior to work outs help create mobility and a proper warm up for your muscles. This is remove tension, which will allow your muscles to respond and “turn on” during the demands of your exercise.

Equally so, foam rolling after you exercise will enforce circulation, so that the tissues may repair after a strenuous exercise. It will coax your body into relaxing, lengthening, and opening up, when your body is ready to tighten up and pout.

Seek hands-on-hands guidance! The best way to understand is through visual learning, and a peer to watch the positioning of your body. As a house call chiropractor, I have many requests to set aside extra time to review foam rolling exercises. Because of that, I now work with individuals and groups to hold foam rolling classes in the comfort of their homes or at their work places. Learn more here.

Schedule your class today!

Thank you for reading,

Katherine McCarty, D.C.