Pre-Workout /Foam Rolling and Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness can be a blessing and a curse. We all enjoy knowing we had a productive day at the gym. But, when the aching and stumbled walking start to interfere with our normal lives it can be a little upsetting to say the least. Finding ways around the pain and looking to alleviate the pain. Foam rolling is the go to choice. It is an inexpensive and easy way to help massage and release inflammation in the affected areas. It is best to make it part of your daily routine or at a minimum a pre-workout habit.

The beginning of the warm up always begins using a foam roller.  Foam rolling is a self-myofacsial release used to improve the quality of the muscle tissue.  The foam roller will increase blood flow to the muscles and help to work out “knots” in the muscle tissue can cause muscle soreness. It has been called the poor man’s massage therapy.   Using the foam roller will give you many of the benefits of static stretching plus the benefit of breaking down scar tissue and adhesions within the muscle and its fascia.   The time spent on each area is individually dependent.  We recommend between 10 and 15 rolls per area at a minimum.  If you have trouble areas or “hot spots” you will give more attention to these areas.   Up to ten or twelve minutes can be allocated prior to beginning the actual warm up for you to foam roll.

You can get a roller for home by clicking here

We recommend that you order one today so that you can do your rolling at home on the off days as well.

Areas to foam roll:

Upper Back/Thoracic Spine

Lie on the foam roller placing it horizontally across your back right underneath the scapula.  Pull the arms in front of the body placing the elbows together and lift the hips off of the ground.  Using the feet to move the upper body roll back and forth over the roller feeling for any tender areas or “hot spots”.  You may adjust their weight as needed to isolate certain areas.

Pectorals

Lie on the roller face down with the roller at a 45 degree angle to the body.  The roller will be placed at the top of the pectoral muscle and right below the deltoid.  Apply as much weight as needed and move across the roller rolling up and down the pectoral muscles.

Latisimus Dorsi

Lie on one side of the body and place the roller under one of the arms right under the arm pit.  Reaching the arm straight above the head you will roll up and down the latisimus dorsi and into the rear deltoid region.

Gluts/Piriformis

Sitting on the roller with it perpendicular to the body the athlete will roll the glut muscles and those surrounding the hip. With a straight leg, tilt to one side and roll the entire area surrounding the posterior hip.  You will then cross over the leg of the hip they are rolling and roll the hip area again.

Hamstrings

Placing the roller at the top of the femurs on the hamstrings the athlete will roll across the roller.  If you wish you may change the position of the feet to isolate the different hamstring muscles. You may also roll one leg at a time to increase the pressure on the foam roller.  To do this simply slide to the edge of the roller.

Hip Flexors

Lie face down and place the foam roller under the hip flexors.  To find the correct placement flex one hip as if you were running and find the place where the hip creases. You will roll in this small area and to the side of this area.  It is easiest, especially for males, to lean slightly to one side and roll each hip flexor area independently. You may also roll one side at a time.

Quadriceps

In the same position when rolling the hip flexors you will simply slide the roller down to the top of the thigh and roll each quad from the top of the thigh to the top of the knee.

Hip Adductors

Lie face down and place the roller parallel to the body on one side.  Bring the leg up to the side and place it over the roller with a bent knee.  Place the leg with the inside of the thigh touching the roller. Apply pressure by picking the hips up off the ground and rolling from the inside top of the knee to the top of the inner thigh.

Illiotibial Band

You should lie on their side and place the foam roller under the hip on the outside of the thigh.  Place the top leg over the bottom leg and position it on the floor as seen in the picture.  Roll from the top of the outer thigh to the top of the knee.   This is a painful position for many individuals and you can alleviate some of the pressure by pushing off the floor with the top foot.  As you progress with rolling you may need to stack the legs to apply enough pressure to the illiotibial band.

Gastrocnemeus/Soleus

Sit facing up and with the legs straight.  Place the roller under the bottom of the knees.  You will then roll over the gastrocnemeus and soleus muscles.

You can foam roll on off days to relieve some soreness or spend extra time on problem areas.  Including static stretching after a brief foam rolling session on an off day will drastically improve the quality and length of the muscle tissue.

You can purchase your foam roller at the website by clicking on any of the Perform Better banners or from us directly Here.