Foam Rolling 101: Improve Your Foam Rolling R.O.I

 I see most folks foam rolling inefficiently, ineffectively, and dangerously. They waste time, energy, and often totally f#ck up their performance potential. But it’s not their fault!

Although there is a substantial amount of research out there in favor of foam rolling, there is little evidence that suggests how and when to correctly foam roll. And the amount of inaccurate internet info out there is staggering.

Here are a few of my favorite fallacious foam rolling myths that totally frustrate my inner sanctum! 

Myth:  “You should roll out your ITB.” 

Fact:  Sure, go ahead and roll your iliotibial band. But you’ll only get so far increasing the mobility. Your ITB is not muscle and cannot be stretched or “released”.

Myth:  “Use foam rolling to release fascia.”

Fact:   You are not releasing fascia. This is not possible with a foam roller. We need a lot more force, like with a jackhammer! As for using foam rolling to  “break up scar tissue”, you are not breaking up anything. What we are doing is using the foam roller to assist in remodeling scar tissue so that it does not lay itself down in a haphazard fashion, possibly causing pain, tightness, itching, or difficulty moving.

Myth:  “You should roll out your trigger points and muscle spasms.”

Fact:   No, not until you know what is causing them.  Have you ever tried self-treating a muscle spasm and made things worse?  I have and so have many of my clients. Trust me. It sucks!

Myth:  “Foam rolling is supposed to hurt?”

Fact: False. One goal of foam rolling is to decrease tissue tension and pain, not enhance them, right? A bit of heightened sensitivity is normal. Suffering and lingering pain are not.  

Myth:  “You gotta spend a good amount of time foam rolling.”

 Fact:   On the contrary. When it comes to foam rolling, less is more. It’s so easy to overdo foam rolling, but doing so can damage tissue and hinder your performance. When I hear there are entire classes dedicated to foam rolling, I can only shake my head in bewilderment.

My goal is to get you on track by increasing your foam rolling R.O.I.!

Book your 5-star Bodywork FOAM ROLLING session HERE!

Heal. Move. ROLL. Evolve.