Foam Roller
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Foam Rollers are a great way to help with muscle and tissue tightness. But there are lots of ways to use one. Read on to learn the how to use a foam roller and the different types of foam rollers to consider.
Foam Roller Exercises for Home
Follow these pictures to learn basic foam roller exercises. Read to the end to learn tips, Do’s and Don’ts.
Types of Foam Rollers
Foam rollers as the name suggests were originally made from different density foams but in today’s market you can find foam rollers of all shapes, sizes, textures and materials. From basic smooth soft or hard density foams to rigid sections of PVC. Some foam rollers come with textures such as dimples are large ridges. There are even foam rollers with vibration engines in them.
With all these options, it can be daunting to know which is the right one for you. When buying your first foam roller, if dealing with extremely tender or sore muscles you may want to lean towards an untextured softer density foam roller. If you are using this as a preventative measure and do not necessarily have any particularly sensitive areas a textured firmer roller may be a better option.
As far as length is concerned, longer rollers (36-48in) are typically more versatile allowing for use on your back all the way to smaller areas such as your calves. Whereas shorter rollers (12-24in) are more portable and typically better for smaller muscle groups.
- Smooth rollers: Provide consistent pressure across the entire length of the roller. As stated earlier a smooth foam roller is a great choice for a first time user due to the less aggressive nature when compared to textured rollers.
- Textured rollers: Have series of bumps and ridges which act more like a massage and can typically provide deeper and more intentional pressure to the target muscle group.
Textured Foam Roller
- Foam-covered roller massagers (sticks): These are handheld variation of foam rollers which are perfect for rolling out the muscle groups of the legs.
- Vibrating Textured foam rollers: These are typically the most expensive variation of the foam roller. The vibration function of the foam roller assists with the muscles relaxing more efficiently during the foam rolling session.
When to Use Foam Rollers
Foam rollers can be used essentially at any point in your day. From pre-workout as portion of your warm-up, post workout as a portion of your cool down, to even after long periods of sitting at a desk or car when feeling stiff.
How to Use a Foam Roller?
While there are no specific hard and fast rules on the use of foam rollers there are some basic guidelines and dos and don’ts of proper foam rolling. There are certain areas you should not foam roll over to avoid potential injury. Those areas include
- Directly over the IT Band
- The lower back (anywhere beneath the ribs)
- Directly over any boney prominences.
If you are foam rolling to seek relief from IT band symptoms, we suggest foam rolling the glutes and lateral quadriceps as opposed to the IT band itself which will likely be very painful and can aggravate your symptoms.
Much like foam rolling directly over the IT band can flare up Iliotibial Band Syndrome symptoms the same can be said of foam rolling over boney prominences which can lead to bruising and pain.
IT Band and Picture of Muscles of the leg
Lastly the vertebrae of the lower back have very particular ranges of motion that they are designed to move through, and the pressure of foam rolling can force them into positions they are not designed for thus leading to pain and potential injury.
To foam roll properly, begin by lying on your roller of choice with the muscle group you are looking to target on the roller. Proceed to roll yourself up and down the roller along the length of the muscle group you are targeting.
How Much Pressure Should you Use with a Foam Roller?
Pressure should be light to moderate to begin and increase as the muscle group desensitizes to the stimulation. Pressure can be modified by changing body position or utilizing arms and legs press through the ground thus decreasing the amount of body weight going through the roller. When rolling over larger muscle groups you may find the need to rock from side to side in order to properly target the entire muscle group.
How Long Should You Spend on a Foam Roller?
Foam rolling sessions should last about 1-3 minutes per muscle group or until tenderness begins to decrease. As you begin to incorporate foam rolling more often you will notice that overall sensitivity and tenderness will decrease with increased sessions
If an area is extremely painful to foam roll directly on even after modifying your body position and weight going through the foam roller, look to foam rolling adjacent muscle groups and slowly introduce foam rolling to the sensitive area over the span of several sessions.
How Much Does a Foam Roller Cost?
In line with the massive variety of foam rollers on the market you can find foam rollers at essentially any price point from $5-10 at your local big box store for a more basic foam roller to $150-300 for vibrating variations of foam rollers.
Related Links:
Foam rollers are a great tool for self treatment of muscle tightness and pain. If you still have issues, the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute can help! To schedule a physical therapy appointment at 1 of our 12 JOI Rehab locations, call (904)858-7045. To see a JOI Orthopedic Doctor, call (904)JOI-2000, schedule online, or click the link below.
