Foam Roll Your Way to Success!
Memorial Day. Independence Day. Labor Day. National Foam Rolling Day?
While it’s not as cute as Puppies Eating Peanut Butter Day, National Foam Rolling Day is here to stay. I think. To be fair, this is the first one, so we’ll see how it pans out. But for now, mark those calendars: May 11th is where it’s at!
Though please don’t wait until next May. Ideally, you’re foam rolling every day, but if you only do the days you workout, your body will thank you during your training and after. Foam rolling is used to help reduce tension and increase circulation and mobility into tissue that’s tense, overused or stuck together, and can be used as both a warm-up and cool-down. I preach it to my clients and begin all of my own workouts with a refreshing 10min routine.
If you’re new to foam rolling, start with the blue rollers downstairs. When you get comfortable with those, progress to the black, foam rollers, and when you’re ready to move on from those, the TriggerPoint will be your new best friend. One of the reasons I like the TriggerPoint so much is that the raised ridges help get a little deeper to increase blood flow and stimulate tissue. Note: Listen to your body, if the roller is too hard, the body could tense up and negate the benefits. Think of it like running: you’re not aiming for a marathon your first day out—you work up to it.
OK, so you’ve got your roller all picked out, now what? Start at the bottom of the calf and work your way up to the hips, first on your back, then your side and finally on the quads. After the legs, try rolling out your lat muscles. Move slowly, about one (1) inch every second. When you find a place that makes you want to cry, hold there. When you feel the area loosen up a bit, add a little motion for the full benefit.
TriggerPoint has a ton of great videos here.
Finally, the HyperIce Vyper vibrating foam roller (pictured). It is, hands down, my favorite roller. Choose your intensity level and let it smooth out those knots. I try to use the Vyper every day before soccer and can tell in a big way when I forget. Luckily for you, we sell it here at La Jolla Sports Club. Check with the front desk for details.
OK, get rolling, get better workouts and see you next week for our next Social May-dia blog!
// Your La Jolla Sports Club team
