R.A.C.E – Reaction Agility Competition Endurance/

Everyone NEEDS a foam roller

Do you have joint pains? Are your hamstrings tight? Do you ache when you wake up in the morning? You need to invest in giving yourself myofascial release aka “foam rolling”. Below are some reasons why you need to foam roll and how it benefits you before, during and after your workout.

Myofascial release is a form of a deep tissue massage that breaks up scar tissue and muscle tightness creating a broader range of motion in your joints and muscles. It can also help with your posture and it takes the boring out of stretching. This will benefit you greatly whether you are a runner, power lifter or just your “average Joe” at the gym. If you can’t justify spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on deep tissue massages every month, why not invest 10 bucks to buy yourself a foam roller and do it yourself.

I didn’t really believe in it when I first tried it because it hurts like crazy and I felt like I was going to bruise from it not to mention it is totally awkward. Appetizing huh? Hear me out… then I saw that Mickey Marotti the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at University of Florida Gators making his athletes use it on a consistent basis. I thought, “It must be doing something right considering the Gators have the most talented athletes out there”. I despise traditional stretching so I gave it another shot, and after consistently foam rolling after every workout, the pain got less and less and I saw my ROM increase drastically! I have clients who swear this is why their hip and knee pain have gone away. Clients also notice their posture is getting better. It’s not a quick fix but over time your body will love you for it. Traditional stretching can only get you so far. So step up your game, pick yourself up a foam roller (or actually use the one at your gym) and commit to using it at least once a day.

It can be used in the morning to get blood flowing through your body and take the stiffness out of your joints. Especially if you sit a desk all day you should focus on your hip flexors. You can use it before your workout to loosen up your muscles or after to help relieve the stress that was just applied to your muscles and joints during your workout.

I recommend focusing on your IT Band (tendon on the side of your leg that is tight in 95% of everyone I see).  Men should focus on their pecs and lats.  Anyone with any kind of back pain/discomfort should spend more time in this area.  Runners should focus on their ITB, Hamstrings and calves.  Lifters should focus on the same including glutes and quads.
Read this article to see all of the different ways to make the most of your foam roller. This article has descriptive methods of how to use your foam roller and will help re-emphasize all of the benefits of  myofacial release. Trust us Personal Trainers on this one, its worth it!