Massage and sports have always gone hand in hand. There are lots of benefits from having a sports massage to work out the knots from a heavy session. However there a now a number of tools you can use in the comfort of your own home. Walk through any gym, or look into the bag of any of NK Fitness Expert Personal Trainers in Twickenham and you will find numerous lacrosse balls and foam rollers. Used one before? You’ve probably spent 5-10 minutes spread out on the floor in pain thinking to yourself, “Is this even doing anything?”.
Foam rolling can be equally ‘painful’ as a deep massage. If you view it simply by feel, then its kind of safe to assume it’s doing you good. However, there is always that lingering thought of “It shouldn’t hurt this much!”. Whilst I am a firm believer in listening to your body and learning by trial and error, sometimes it’s good to know the facts. Whilst massage is a familiar face, foam rolling and self myofascial release are relative new comers to the scene.
What is Myofascial Release?
a quick google search bings up the following answer.
“Myofascial release is a manipulative treatment that attempts to release tension in the fascia due to trauma, posture, or inflammation. Connective tissues called fascia surround the muscles, bones, nerves, and organs of the body.”
Essentially, you are flatten out the muscles, release knots and tension. Basically putting the body back to how it should be.
What are the Benefits of Myofascial Release?
A study by Scott W. Cheatham looked at the benefits of foam rolling pre and post exercise. Before exercise, foam rolling was found to improve joint range of motion (in the short term). It also showed no negative effects on performance. Foam rolling after exercise lead to a decrease in delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). In addition, it reduced the severity of loss of muscle performance.
So it looks like the foam rollers are here to stay. Overall positive finding and definitely something worth adding into your routine. Whether it is pre or post you will have to decide what you want to get out of it.