Why Purchase a Foam Roll

Foam rolls are just cylindrical pieces of some kind of hard foam. Polyethylene rolls are the most common. Polyethylene is also commonly used in exercise mats. Although the rollers can be found in many different sizes, the most common is the 3 feet long 6 inch in diameter. They can also be found in half the length and there are even some that are flat on one side. There isn’t a huge difference in quality when it comes to these rollers. However, a higher density foam roller may last you longer. The foam can eventually be crushed and deformed after extensive use.

What do you do with one of these foam rolls? One of the most common uses is to use it for massage. Foam rolling can be used to massage your own body without assistance. This is sometimes called self-myofascial release. Soft tissue that is irritated becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes a thickening of the connective tissue. This results in pain, and even more inflammation. To help relieve this pain and reduce inflammation you lie on the foam roll with the muscles you want to target on top of the roll. Then you slowly roll over the area, which massages the muscles. Once a tender area is found you should maintain pressure on the area for thirty to sixty seconds. Using a foam roll can allow you to reach deep tissue.

One of the benefits of this rolling is that it makes your other stretching more effective. When a muscle is stretched that is tight, it can trigger stretching in healthy muscles that don’t need to be stretched. It’s a good idea to do your rolling before and after you exercise.

So, foam roll exercises can be used to increase flexibility. An exercise foam roll can be used to help improve your regular stretching workout. There are a wide variety of exercises that can be performed with your exercise foam roll. We will mention only a few.

This first exercise will focus on the hamstrings. Sit on the floor with the roller underneath the center of the muscle. Use your hands to hoist up your body, and roll with the roller moving from the top of the back of your knees, up to the bottom of your glutes. You can use the same method to massage your calf muscles. If you cross over one leg it puts more pressure on the supporting muscle.

Another common location you’ll want to stretch is your back. Sit on the floor, place the roller under your back and roll back and forth with your feet.

A foam roll may just be the best $20 you’ll ever spend. If you are unsure of how to use your roller after you have purchased it, you can find simple exercise instructions online, sometimes even with video.