Foam Rolling 101: “Why should I foam roll”

So, what does foam roller actually do for you?

Foam rolling is a tool you use to enhance your athletic performance. And how does it do this? By increasing your movement fluidity. Let’s go deeper and see how.

Blood

Foam rolling reduces arterial stiffness, increases arterial tissue perfusion, and improves vascular function. This all means that more oxygen-rich blood is flushing the muscles. The muscles like this (which is one of the reasons we warm up before training).

Nerves

Your joints and muscles have receptors that alert the brain to overloading and overstretching. If there’s a problem, the receptors will limit the muscle’s ability to stretch or produce force. Foam rolling can override this system, allowing for improved muscle mobility and control. 

Muscles

Rolling, smashing, and compression all provide a gentle stretch to your muscles, prepping them for greater ranges of motion.

Pain

The fresh blood, desensitized nerves, and lengthened muscles all assist to decrease muscle tension and pain. Trigger points, micro spasms, muscle tension, cramping —  let’s put these all under the umbrella of pain conditions. 

Pain limits your muscle’s ability to lengthen and generate force. 

Roll to decrease your pain, improve your movement fluidity and overall performance!

Heal. Move. ROLL. Evolve. 

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So which foam roller is best for you? 

Check out “Which Foam Roller is Best for Me?” and the rest of the fact-filled blogs in our Foam Rolling 101 series below.

Heal. Move. ROLL. Evolve. 

Improve Your Foam Rolling R.O.I: “When should I foam roll and for how long?“

Foam Rolling 101: “When is it ok to foam roll an injury?”

Foam Rolling 101: “Should foam rolling always hurt?”

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