You know that foam rolling along with mobility is critical to releasing the fascial tissues that get tight during workouts. Knowing what you should be rolling for the day can seem a little tricky. Knowing your body and what is in need of attention can help you develop a plan to attack those muscles. The main reason we use foam rolling is to break down those tender spots called knots or trigger points. These nuisances develop when the tissue surrounding the muscles called fascia bunches up. These knots can cause tightness, pain, and reduce flexibility and range of motion.
Other reasons to foam roll include:
- Increasing your flexibility
- Lengthen and strengthen shortened muscles
- Increase your mobility for specific movements like the squat or overhead press
- Warm up before your workout routine
- Cool down after your routine and improve recovery times
- Reduce tension and pain in your muscles and body
The best place to start creating your mobility plan is by trying some mobility screening tests to identify the problem areas, or if you want to improve specific movements like the squat then you can build your routine around that. Below are some common examples of problem areas and where you can begin your new rolling routine.
Poor ankle and hip mobility-Foam rolling for your glutes, hip flexors, and a routine of hip stretching including lunges.
Squat mobility issues- Foam roll the hips, calves, and working on ankle mobility. You’ll also want to do some core strengthening.
Sciatica- Foam roll the hip flexors, and the piriformis if you suffer from lower back and buttocks pain.
Poor shoulder mobility-Work out those shoulder knots by using a lacroose ball by laying on the floor with it by your scapulae. You can also roll with the ball under your shoulders flat on the ground, or use the foam roller to cover a wider area.
Now that you know WHERE you should roll, let’s look at how you do it:
- Start rolling slowly over the target muscle and stop when you reach a knot or trigger point for around 30 seconds or until the discomfort starts to dissipate. Keep rolling over the entire muscle until you’ve applied pressure to all of the knots and the pain has started to dissipate some more.
- DON’T roll over any bones in your body
- On frequency: I will roll as much as once an hour, but it is more realistically a few times a day. Roll as often as you feel comfortable, and be sure to roll before and after workouts to warm up and recover properly.
- Pick a good foam roller for your needs something is can hold the tension and doesn’t allow a lot of give.
Making mobility and stretching part of your normal workout routine can increase your flexibility and help you achieve more range of motion in the lifts that you are working on. Think of all the exercises that require you to have loose shoulders, lats, and upper back muscles. Not to mention the beating your lower body takes on when doing squats, deadlifts, and cleans. Take care of your body and it will repay you in PR’s!