Foam Rolling Guide – Part 2
In Part 1 I introduced the concept of foam rolling and explained what it is. In part 2 I want to give you my tips and techniques.
How long should you foam roll?
For general maintenance, each muscle should be focused on for up to 2 minutes at a time. I know many of my readers are highly educated and now there are over 600 muscle in the body – don’t worry you don’t need to foam roll them all! You focus on the ones that feel tight and in need of the foam rolling.
How to use a foam roller if you hunch over your desk all day?
To open up your chest you can lay on the foam roller so it is underneath your spine – for about 10 minutes and this will open up your back & chest.
Any more tips?
You can essentially foam roll any part of your body. You just start and place with the movement, speed and pressure to see what works for you. But don’t expect it to feel comfortable – those tender spots are the ones that need the help most. I would suggest you start off slowly and build up time, speed and pressure slowly.
The outside of the thighs (or IT bands) are an area of tightness for runners and cyclists and its highly accessible on a foam roller. The larger muscles in the legs, quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), calf musles are very easy to foam roll.
Related Posts
Start eating prebiotics to reduce stress levels
When we are under pressure, stressed or anxious our bodies react, for some people this means they develop tension in the neck & shoulders, for others they get butterflies in their stomach or their digestive system becomes more sensitive. Stress messes with your they bacteria in your gut and creates a viscous circle that makes stress and anxiety attacks even worse. While we are all familiar with probiotics or good bacteria which you can buy in tablet form in health food shops or are added to yogurts. What you may be less familiar with are prebiotics which are the "food" for the good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics can undo the impact stress has on the gut. They are found in plant fibers like
- raw chicory root
- raw Jerusalem artichoke
- raw garlic
- raw leeks
- raw asparagus
- raw and cooked onions
Difference Between Sports and Deep Tissue Massage
- Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage is a short focused massage to release tension in the Neck & Shoulders
- Choose Sports massage over deep tissue massage when you go to the gym with a specific sporting goal in mind, i.e. you are going for more than just generally keeping fit. Or you are really focused on your sport including actively taking part in competitions or you are keen to improve your performance or your training is solely focused on your sport and you do not cross train.
Sports Massage Deep Tissue Massage Incorporates Deep Pressure Yes Yes Similar massage stokes Yes Yes Releases muscle tension, pain, physical stress and stiffness while restoring flexibility Yes Yes Able to resolve common injuries and woes for inactive, desk bound people Yes Yes Incorporates a custom blend of oils and hot stones to relieve tension and anxiety No Yes Athlete orientated including - Focus on improving athletic performance - Incorporates stretching - Assessing injury risk - Rehabilitation after injury Yes No Knowledge of sport - Able to deliver specific pre-exercise treatment for any given sport - Able to deliver specific post-exercise treatment for any given sport - Able to deliver specific treatment during intense training for any given sport Yes No
