3 Reasons Why YOU Should be Foam Rolling
Muscle imbalance? Who needs that!
When tissue is restricted, it cannot move efficiently. When this happens, it results in lost range of motion. When range of motion is affected it can eventually lead to altered muscle recruitment while exercising or doing activities of daily living. When muscles don’t move or activate as they were meant to, it can create what is called muscle imbalance. For example: squatting down to pick up that newspaper in the morning requires great use of the hamstrings and gluts. If those hamstrings and gluts are restricted the body will start to recruit other muscles to perform that squat. Foam rolling can help improve the length-tension relationship between those muscles and get rid of restrictions so muscle imbalance is less likely to occur.
A sore free body is a happy one!
Research has shown that daily or regular use of a foam roller or lacrosse ball for SMR (Self myofascial release) helps combat those sore muscles by increasing circulation/ blood flow to the tissue. Increasing circulation to the muscle itself can aid in speeding up recovery time from both exercise and injury and make your day less hard in the process.
Prevent that kinetic chain overload!
Our kinetic chain is made up of a soft tissue system (muscle, tendon, ligament, and fascia), a neural system (nerves and CNS), and an articular system (Joints). As I explained in the beginning, restricted muscles can lead to muscle imbalance. When muscle imbalance occurs for too long it can create joint movement dysfunction. Joint dysfunction can lead to a huge increased risk of injury if not properly dealt with. When you use a foam roller for SMR, it will help reduce that risk by helping to lengthen out muscles and create better neurological feedback from the CNS(Central nervous system), get rid of restrictions in the fascia (soft tissue system) and take stress off of joints so they can move as they are supposed to. Combine all of these together and you have a functionally happy kinetic chain and a new you!
