Foam rolling is a self-massage technique that many athletes use after athletic performance to apply controlled pressure to muscles and fascia. It is oftentimes performed with a cylindrical foam roller that is self administered with moderate to significant pressure in order to address tissues at different levels. When performed correctly, it can be beneficial to the athlete in a number of ways. In today’s blog, we explain some of the benefits of foam rolling after exercise or athletic activity.
The Benefits Of Foam Rolling
Self-administered foam rolling is thought to help an athlete in many ways by:
- Breaking Up Muscle Adhesions – Your fascia, which is the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles, can become tight and restrictive, especially after intense physical activity. This restriction can limit normal function and muscular movement, contributing to pain and general muscle soreness. Foam rolling can break up these restrictive fascia adhesions, improving muscular mobility.
- Increased Blood Flow – Applying pressure to different areas while you’re foam rolling can open up blood vessels and support enhanced blood flow. This gives muscles increased access to nutrient-rich blood that is necessary for function and tissue repair. Drinking plenty of water and rolling your muscles can make it easier for healthy blood to reach the structures that need it most.
- Nervous System Engagement – The pressure you put on your body while foam rolling will stimulate mechanoreceptors within your fascia and muscles. This sends signals to your nervous system that can actually help improve pain perception and promote relaxation, which is beneficial to the tissue recovery process.
- Delayed/Reduced Soreness – Foam rolling can help bridge the transition from intense exertion to tissue recovery. If your muscles go from intensely engaged to inactive, you may notice increased soreness as tissues start to stiffen and circulation to these recovering tissues wanes. Foam rolling can help your tissues retain more of their natural flexibility following activity, and as we noted above, it can also increase blood flow, which in turn combats feelings of soreness. Foam rolling can make your recovery period a little less uncomfortable.
Foam rolling is a low cost recovery technique that you can pursue if you’re hoping to recover faster after athletic activity, but it’s not the only recovery technique you should consider. Athletic recovery and performance enhancement is our specialty at HyperCharge Clinic, and we’d be happy to find a therapy technique that helps you recover faster and stronger following athletic activity. We can boost your body’s ability to recover on a cellular level so that repair processes can occur more efficiently throughout your body. When tissue repair occurs more efficiently, you’ll recover sooner and can get back to peak performance faster.
Whether you want to learn more about the best foam rolling practices or the rejuvenation techniques we offer at HyperCharge Clinic, reach out to our staff for more information. Give the team at HyperCharge Clinic a call today.