Foam rolling is a great tool to stretch and release tightness in the muscles and joints throughout your body.
Benefits of Foam Rolling
- Relieve stress
- Improve posture
- Improve Flexibility
- Foam rolling has been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS following a workout. See that research here.
How to Foam Roll
One of the best things about foam rolling is that you can control the amount of pressure yourself. Just like stretching, you are in control.
It is my recommendation that when rolling out a certain muscle, you start above or below that muscle. Then slowly roll over the spot that is the tightest.
As you slowly roll over the muscle, you can hold for 20-30 seconds or just continue to roll over it until the muscle relaxes.
Muscles to Foam Roll
Quadriceps
Hip flexors
Hamstrings
Glutes
Low back
Mid/Upper back
Latissimus Dorsi
Triceps
What Not to Foam Roll
There is one area of the body I do not recommend foam rolling over and that is the IT Band (I did a full post on the IT band syndrome, check it out here).
So why not foam roll the IT band? Because it is not a muscle! It is a very thick piece of fascia that does not stretch. It is painful to roll on the IT band and there is no point if it is not going to change anything!
Foam rolling is a great tool to stretch the muscles of our bodies to reduce tightness and soreness following a workout.