Foam rollers are becoming more and more common in gyms these days. If you haven’t seen one yet, you no doubt will in the near future. They come in a variety of sizes, with the most common being a 36″ long by 6″ wide roller. The foam also comes in several densities, and the denser the foam, the less it gives, the greater the pressure to the body. While these rollers are sometimes being incorporated into workouts and used to balance on, they’re original and primary purpose is stretching. Myofascial release is the technical name of the type of stretching done with these rollers, and in a nutshell, it’s a very concentrated stretch performed by rolling the muscle on the foam roller. It can be used all over the body…the legs, the back, the hip muscles, and it works by releasing muscle restrictions brought on by tight muscles. It’s a very effective means of stretching, however, it can be a little uncomfortable with first starting out, but what a difference it makes on your flexibility!
Melissa Allen, BS, CPT, CES. Please visit my website at OptimumCondition.org.
