Why Foam Rolling is Necessary for Your Fitness Goals
How often do you use a foam roller? A few times a week? A few times a month? Do you even own one? If you don’t use a foam roller every day you’re seriously missing out on its many advantages, thus limiting your fitness potential.
When I was competing on a university golf team a few years ago, a trainer who worked with us from time to time heavily encouraged us to use a foam roller.
“You cannot use a foam roller enough.”
Those words he said to us have always stuck with me. Not taking it too literal, as you shouldn’t with any practice, the point he wanted to get across was the multiple ways foam rolling can improve your fitness level. This is especially important for those who exercise more than twice a week.
The fact is, someone who frequently uses a foam roller has a huge fitness advantage over someone who does not. How is it possible that something so simple can be so effective? After reading these benefits you will understand how vital it is for our bodies and maybe be motivated to incorporate it into your daily routine, as I have. Here are five reasons why you should use a foam roller every single day.
It‘s a smart way to warm-up
We all know it’s important to make sure our muscles are warmed up before starting a workout; failing to do so increases the risk of injury. Foam rolling is an easy way to stimulate your muscles and promote blood flow to them.
When we exercise, our blood vessels expand to allow easier blood flow to the needed muscles. Foam rolling promotes this process, relaxing our muscles and making them more flexible for the upcoming workout. Beginning a session without warming up means using muscles that are not yet relaxed, increasing the likelihood of pulls and tears.
In lower temperatures, our body’s process of regulating blood to our muscles is slower, making foam rolling beforehand even more important. This is also critical for those who run in cold weather. Jumping outside thinking I’ll just warm up as I go is a risky game. Stimulating your muscles before putting them to work is a smart habit to get into.
Now, you may be thinking, can’t I just do dynamic stretches? Dynamic stretches are fine, however this strategy requires using the muscles as part of the warm-up. Therefore, there’s still a risk of pulling something since you’re engaging the muscles before they are completely warm. Foam rolling stimulates your muscles without using them, making it a smarter way to start your workout, especially when temperatures are brisk.
It promotes muscle recovery
Another advantage of foam rolling is its role in muscle recovery. By increasing blood flow to muscles, foam rolling can reduce tissue tension and decrease stiffness. This can help limit muscle soreness and fatigue felt the days after an intense workout.
One study examining the effects of foam rolling as a recovery tool immediately following a vigorous workout found foam rolling to reduce muscle tenderness and decrements in multijointed dynamic movements due to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Therefore, routinely rolling out your muscles after physical activity is an effective method in limiting muscle fatigue and enhancing recovery, allowing you to feel better quicker and get back in the gym sooner.
It can boost your performance
Foam rolling is associated with increased performance in two ways. First, by decreasing muscle soreness and stiffness, regular foam rolling limits how many rest days are needed until your muscles are ready to go again. In other words, you’ll be able to improve your performance by comfortably increasing your workouts.
Second, foam rolling can improve your range of movement with regards to speed and mobility. It was found in a study examining the effects of foam rolling on males with experienced strength training that foam rolling significantly improved range of motion, muscle activation, and vertical jump height. Although the study included just twenty people, the difference in performance between those who used a foam roller compared to those who did not was substantial, outlining foam rolling as an effective method to quickly boost performance.
It’s its own little workout
A lot of foam rolling requires balancing on a particular muscle. Ensuring you’re stable enough to properly roll out engages your core, making the activity a miniature workout. How much energy is required depends on the area of focus, but a foam rolling session is guaranteed to activate your abdominal muscles and burn calories.
It’s relaxing
If you aren’t yet sold on the power of the foam roller, I have one more reason why it’s so awesome. Aside from the incredible role it has in muscle maintenance, foam rolling is quite relaxing. It’s essentially a self-massage, and who doesn’t love a good massage?
By relaxing your muscles and body, foam rolling can calm your mind and actually be very therapeutic. Doing it before going to bed can help you unwind — not just physically, but mentally as well — and allow you to easily fall asleep. At the very least, rolling out my back always produces a few cracks, loosening up one of the most important areas of the body. Daily foam rolling will consistently keep your muscles from being stiff which will relieve your body and liberate your mind.
Conclusion
“Self-massage through foam rolling could benefit athletes seeking a recovery modality that is relatively affordable, easy to perform, and time efficient and that enhances muscle recovery.” — Journal of Athletic Training
Before your workout, after your workout, on rest days, before going to bed; there are many circumstances where using a foam roller is more than appropriate. The only time you shouldn't massage a muscle yourself if it is painful to do so due to severe soreness or an injury. A massage could be beneficial for these problems, but contacting a professional would definitely be the best course of action.
The positive influence foam rolling has on warming up, muscle recovery and athletic performance combined with the fact that it takes little time to do makes it a valuable activity that can be easily incorporated into anyone’s daily routine, with very little cost. I bought mine for $20 four years ago and it’s still going strong. By taking 5–10 minutes each day to massage your muscles, you will only improve your fitness life by giving your body what it truly needs: a foam roller.
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