What Are the Benefits of Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motionFoam rolling can be an effective tool to add to your warm-up or cooldown, before and after exercise. And the benefits of foam rolling may vary from person to personRead on to learn the about foam rolling’s benefits and potential risks, plus how to add it to your routine.
1. Ease muscle paFoam rolling can be beneficial for easing sore muscles and reducing inflammationOne small studyTrusted Source of eight male participants found evidence that foam rolling after exercise may help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness. In the study, physically active men foam rolled for 20 miimmediately after exercise in addition to 24 and 48 hours after exercisingThese participants saw a decrease in their delayed-onset muscle soreness when compareexercising without foam rolling. They also performed physical exercises better than those who didn’t foam rolMore research is needed in a larger, mogroup of people to confirm how foam rolling affects muscle pain.
2. Increase range of motiFoam rolling may help increase your range of motion, but more research is needed. Range of motion is important for flexibility and performanceResearchers found evidence from one small studyTrusted Source of 11 adolescent athletes that a combination of foam rolling and static stretching was most effective for increasing range of motion. This was compared to static stretching or foam rolling aloneMore research is needed among a larger, more diverse group of people to fully understand the connection to foam rolling and range of motionFor best results from foam rolling, try to stretch out and foam roll after each workout.
3. Temporarily reduce appearance of cellulProviders of some foam rolling products claim the products can help loosen and break up your fascia. Fascia are the body’s connective tissues and contribute to the appearance of celluliteWhile foam rolling may help smooth out your skin temporarily, there is currently no scientific evidence that it can permanently reduce celluliteThe best way to reduce cellulite is to maintain an active lifestyle and consume a healthy diet.
4. Relieve back paSMR may be effectiveTrusted Source for easing pain in the body. It may help ease tension in the back, tooIt’s important to take care when using a foam roller on the back, however. It’s easy to strain or injure your back furtheTo use your foam roller for lower back pain, turn your foam roller so it’s vertical (in-line with your spine) and slowly roll the roller from side to side, still in line with your spine. Do this as opposed to keeping it horizontal, which can cause you to arch and strain your backYou can also try lying on a foam massage ball or a tennis ball to work out knots in the back.
5. Manage fibromyalgia symptoSMR has shown promising results for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptomsIn one studyTrusted Source of 66 adults living with fibromyalgia, participants who foam rolled for 20 weeks reported that they felt better and had less pain intensity, fatigue, stiffness, and depression than those who didn’t try SMR techniques. They also reported an increase in their range of motion.hile this study is promising, more research is needed to confirm the efficacy of foam rolling for treating fibromyalgia symptoms.

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