Foam Rolling - What is it?
If you are a member of a gym, chances are you have seen foam rollers lying around the functional area. They are the cylindrical tubes that range from soft, spiky to rock hard. When foam rollers first made its way into the gym floors, many were unsure of how to use them or even what they were. Now, they are a staple in most fitness fanatics program, foam rolling, also known as SMR or self-myofascial release involves applying the right amount of pressure to specific trigger points on your body.
What are the Benefits of Foam Rolling?
The benefits of SMR are a plenty. First, SMR increases the blood flow throughout your body. One of the unexplained issues that people face these days is poor circulation. So before you buy every compression sleeve out in the market, give SMR a try to see if the issue lessens.…show more content… Gastrocnemius (calf muscle)
One of the most common places for tightness is the calf area, especially in women. Posture and high heels can exacerbate the pain but ensuring that the muscles break up, squat technique will improve drastically.
Place the roller just underneath the top part of the calf muscle. Push yourself up for the maximal pressure and roll back and forth until you feel the tightest part of the muscle. Then either roll over it or keep it static over the tight muscle until the pain lessens. Repeat on the other side.
2. TFL/IT Band
The TFL (tensor fascia latae) located at the top part of the hip is connected to the IT Band (iliotibial band) further down towards the knee. This is another area that can get extremely tight and painful adhesions develop. This again, can affect the way you squat and perform various other exercises as well.
Lying on your side, place the roller under your hip. Use your elbows to push yourself up and start slowly rolling from the TFL all the way down the IT Band. It is advisable that when starting this roll, a softer roller is used until flexibility improves in this