Recovery: Foam Rolling Basics

I've mentioned the use of foam rolling in a few of my posts so I thought I'd go into more depth about what is it and why I do it.

What is Foam Rolling?
Foam rolling is a technique used to relax the muscle and fascia, also known as self-myofascial release. Fascia is the connective tissue that covers the muscles and the entire body. Muscle tightness and soreness can be a result of fascia being tight or restricted. I used to have extremely sore knees from running more than 5km, but since starting foam rolling (especially around the quads, glutes and IT Band), I can now run long distances without any knee pain. And if I stop rolling, the tightness comes back, and with it the knee pain. So it's something I have incorporated into my regular recovery routine.

What does it require?
Foam rollers can come in a few different sizes (long and short) and textures (smooth and raised). Smooth ones are great to start with as they won't "dig in" and hurt as much. But the raised surfaces are great if you want to get into a sore spot and work away at it until the tension is released. Longer foam rolleres are better suited for the back and rolling both legs at the same time, while smaller ones are compact and travel friendly, primarily used to target specific areas (especially the glutes and single leg calves).

Different type of foam rollers

How often?
Foam rolling has been reported most effective prior to starting exercise, i.e as a warm up routine. However it is also effective post exercise, which is when I choose to foam roll. Once the kids are in bed, I'll spend an hour on the foam roller to roll out the "knots" and tightness.  Duration will vary depending on the time available and muscle soreness or tightness. I will roll over an area for 5 minutes to allow the muscle to relax and work through the tightness.

Best way to start out?
The first time you use a foam roller, it will be very painful. But don't throw it away just yet. The more you do it, the easier and more pleasant it feels. Here are some tips:
1. Never roll over any joints.
2. Start off with long rolls, that is, for the entire length of the muscle. For example, for the thigh (quadriceps), start from the hip (crease) down to the top of the knee, and NEVER rolling over the knee (joint).
3. Once you have done a few long rolls, shorten the rolls to concentrate just around the pain point.
4. From here, if you can bear it, roll directly onto the pain point, hold and put your weight direcly onto the sore spot. This will be painful, but breathe and relax. It's important to breathe and relax as you rol. Having tense muscles (clenching or flexing your muscles) is counter productive.
5. To make it easier, start with two legs, especially on the quads, hamstrings and calves first. This helps to distribute your weight so it's not so painful. Perform single leg rolls once you're comfortable with the pain (remember point 4, you need to be able to breathe and relax through the pain).

Which part of the body should I roll?
My routine involves the following muscles:
1. I start facing down with the foam roller under my quadriceps (thighs), then work on my hip flexors (hip crease).
2. I turn over to face up looking at the ceiling and place the foam roller under my lower back (working from the base of my neck to the top of the butt), then glutes (butt), hamstring, calves, and finishing with my IT Band (lying sideways). Again, never roll over any joints, instead reposition the foam roller to target the different muscles.
3. I follow up my foam rolling sessions with static stretching; pigeon pose, glutes and hamstrings.

Enjoy your rolling! And it gets easier the more you do it.