Maybe you’ve watched other Instructors rolling on these cylindrical pieces of foam and been curious. Maybe you use a foam roller yourself and routinely ask, “How can something so innocent looking cause me so much pain?” Maybe you just want to know what they’re meant to do, and whether they actually work. Here’s what you need to know...
There are several different types of foam roller, ranging from one solid piece of foam, to hollow tubes with lumps and bumps emerging from the outer foam, and even rechargeable vibrating ones. The earliest scientific reported use of the foam roller is from 1996, when foam rolling was used in a warm-up routine designed to help performing artists increase their range of motion (ROM). Thereafter, foam rollers slowly began appearing in both academic and popular literature, and their cult status has continued to increase. In the past five years the use of the foam roller has exploded, and they can now be seen on pretty much every gym floor across the globe.
Despite being twenty or so years since studies began, the science behind foam rolling is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, some useful patterns in the research findings are starting to emerge.
More research needs to be done to provide really conclusive evidence, but there are three prevailing theories as to why foam rolling works:
Theory 1: Both the mechanical pressure and subsequent heat generation causes the fluid at the joint to become runnier, which decreases the resistance that would otherwise be caused by friction. Think of the effect that oil has on a metal joint, it’s the same thing.
Theory 2: The direct pressure along the direction of muscular pull slightly re-aligns any collagen fibers from a more random to a more uniform direction, leading to increased lymphatic drainage and less resistance.
Theory 3: The direct pressure onto the muscle shows a typical stretch-response (e.g. when you stretch, the muscle contracts for a few seconds, and then relaxes allowing you to stretch further), meaning that after 15-30 seconds, the muscle relaxes enough to increase the ROM.
The research behind foam rolling suggests that using a foam roller can yield important benefits, whether you use the foam roller before or after your workout. Using the foam roller before training can increase the ROM, which could decrease chances of injury. Using the foam roller after training can decrease DOMS, which could speed up recovery and make DOMS more manageable. It seems that using the foam-roller does not impede performance, meaning that you have nothing to lose by trying it out!
There are several ways that you can use a foam roller depending on which joint or muscle you want to affect, and what type of foam roller you are using.
Here is a quick guide on some of the most popular and effective foam rolling exercises. These target the muscles and joints that tend to be the tightest in most people.
Calf
Quads
IT Band
Glutes
Mike Trott is a UK-based fitness professional who specializes in sports personality psychology and sports exercise physiology. He has conducted academic research into group exercise interventions and personality, exercise addiction, and foam rolling physiology, and is also a multi-award-winning Les Mills instructor, trainer and presenter.
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