Mention the words foam roller and plenty of people will give you a puzzled look. In the fitness community, though, it's a product that keeps growing in popularity. Foam rolling is a massage technique that works on trigger points, also known as self-myofascial release (SMR).
What is a trigger point?
A trigger point, or muscle knot, is a build-up of sarcomeres that leaves the muscle under constant tension. That results in overactive muscles.
Among footballers, for instance, it's common to find an overactive gastrocnemius and soleus – shortened calf muscles, put simply. Clearing those adhesions (trigger points) through SMR matters a great deal not just for performance (jump height, isometric strength and range of motion) but for injury prevention too.
Rolling correctly over the stiff muscles with a foam roller creates pressure on the adhesions. That pressure stimulates our bodies in various ways – among other things, it activates the Golgi tendon organ, which produces autogenic inhibition (relaxation within the muscle).
Through autogenic inhibition, your muscle returns to its proper length – and you'll notice the result fairly quickly. The foam roller is an instrument you shouldn't be without in your arsenal of exercises.
When should you do it?
Foam rolling is best done before your session. You're also free to fit in a short session afterwards. There's very little you can get wrong, so do what feels right to you.
Should you buy an expensive foam roller or a cheap one? Fortunately a foam roller can be had for a relatively small sum, and a cheap one will take you a long way.
Questions? Leave a comment below or email sales@nrgfitness.nl
