A lot of fitness equipment, in today's fitness scene is underrated. While some are overlooked, some are completely ignored. One such tool is the foam roller. Though it is not something that's been invented in the past few years; it is still relatively new to Indian gyms. In fact, a majority of the gyms in our country still don't have this small yet useful piece of foam that plays an important part in your recovery. Read on to find out how!
What Is A Foam Roller And Foam Rolling?© Thinkstock
A Foam Roller is a tube like roller measuring the length of your forearm. Foam Rolling is a self-myofacial release technique (massaging the muscle tissue) used by physical therapists and athletes to maximize muscle recovery.
What Does A Foam Roller Do?When the muscle is held at a specific position due to inactivity or when it's overused by repetitive movements, collagen can form in-between the layers of skeletal muscles. This results in adhesions that restrict the ability of the muscles to slide against one another. Repetitive movements also create tissue tension and muscle tightness which ultimately reduces the range of motion of the muscle. This also reduces the flexibility in the muscle tissue. Another problem that occurs while you perform any motion is the tightness of one segment of your muscles around a joint. So when you perform a motion, it is because a number of muscles that are involved in it actually move. Now, when one segment of muscle is tighter due to repetitive movement with weights, another segment does not exert the same amount of force for optimal motion. A Foam Roller is used to get rid of this problem and to avoid this situation in your muscle tissue. Foam Rolling can release the myofacial tightness which leads to proper balance of competing forces around a joint. Foam Rolling helps you to break up collagen adhesions and realign the tissue to allow the layers to slide against one another in an unrestricted manner. Breaking up adhesions helps to reduce muscle tightness and improve joint Range Of Motion.
When To Use It?© Tnation
Foam Rolling can help you in minimizing the risk of the new collagen-forming adhesions between muscles and it can also increase the speed of post-exercise recovery. So, it makes sense to perform a round of foam rolling after your workout to speed up your recovery process and to reduce DOMS. Using a foam roller before your workout for myofascial release during a warm up may help reduce tension and will also elevate muscle temperature making them ready for a workout. It will also add the capability of your muscles to contract better when you train them.
What Does The Research Say?A study conducted by the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada clearly states that 'Foam rolling effectively reduced DOMS and associated decrements'. A review of 14 study article published in National Centre for Biotechnology Information states that, ' The results of this analysis suggests that foam rolling and roller massages may be effective interventions for enhancing joint ROM and pre and post exercise muscle performance.' Therefore, foam rolling is not just a fad but a practice backed by science.
Anuj Tyagi is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Sports Nutritionist and Therapeutic Exercise Specialist From American Council on Exercise (ACE) . He is the Founder of the website where he provides online Training. Though a Chartered Accountant by education, he has been closely associated with Fitness Industry since 2006. His motto is to transform people Naturally and he believes that the secret formula for Fitness is Consistency and commitment towards your Training and Nutrition. You can connect with him through Facebook and Youtube.
0 Comments
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.