FOam rolling/ self-myofascial Release and different tools you can use for it

Foam Rolling/Self-Myofascial Release

                (aka what most people would say is the worst best thing ever)

Scroll down now if you only want the info and not my personal story/different tools/love for everything SMR…

                So basically I remember the first time I heard about foam rolling a couple years ago and I was thinking what the heck is that? I never had one or was around one or even saw one. Keep in mind this was when foam rolling really started coming into the spotlight. So it was within the last 5 or 6 years that everyone started making a point of it.  Anyways I eventually did see one and use it and luckily I wasn’t like “Oh my gosh this is the most horrible thing ever it hurts so bad” instead I was thinking, “Oh wow this is that really good pain that you know relief follows after”. I didn’t struggle too much until I flipped over onto my quads (“OH MY QUAD did I feel that!!”  I love the massage type pain because it is such a good hurt I don’t even think anyone can actually describe it. (BY THE WAY THE PAIN GETS MORE AND MORE TOLERABLE WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU USE IT AND HOW OFTEN YOU USE IT SO BE CONSISTENT!) 
                Shortly after, my sister and I asked for a foam roller as a gift from our parents and we got one to share so we are very appreciative of that!  Eventually I got my gym membership and they have foam rollers so I mostly find myself rolling there before and after a workout.  I also have one of the hand held ones now and let me just say that it has got to be the best thing ever.  I bought one and it broke within 24 hours though so I returned that then I couldn’t find one at a good price then my sister bought me one as a gift, HOW AWESOME!?  So I guarantee I will always have that with me at the gym or around the house. 
               I know it can seem like a heavy investment at first but in reality let’s say you consider buying the greatest foam roller you’ve ever felt and it would end up costing you maybe $35.  So you go back and forth in your head, but honestly that thing is going to last sooooooo long so even if you only had it for a year (I have had my foam one for awhile now) it would pay off within a month or two considering that would only be around 50 cents a day for 35 days if you used it 2x a day.  SO GET SOME FOAM ROLLERS. That’s the end of my back story now I am going to share some alternatives before I get into the science.

ALTERNATIVE TOOLS:

• Baseball
• Softball
• Tennis ball
•  Lacrosse ball
•  Golf Ball (personally haven’t tried this one but I assume it’d be good)
•  Bouncy Ball (this one is so good for targeting little areas and I am rolling my foot right now with one while sitting at desk typing this) shoutout to @robbiejamesfit on Insta and twitter for this one!
•  Make your own with PVC or other tools (look up some DIY)
•  Wood massage rollers 

 
Let’s start out with a couple ways to define the actual topic with the Google search definition:

1. Myofascial release (or MFR) is a soft tissue therapy for the treatment of skeletal muscle immobility and pain. This alternative medicine therapy aims to relax contracted muscles, improve blood and lymphatic circulation, and stimulate the stretch reflex in muscles.

In simpler terms it takes the muscle soreness, tightness, and lack of mobility and makes them feel better through release of tension.  I will get more into the science behind it soon but I have to start with some pre-cursor information so I can make sense of all of this with you.

When I refer to it I am going to say SMR in reference to SELF-Myofascial Release.

There are some different neural receptors in our muscles that turn off and on with different tensions and stretching. 

Muscle Spindles=lengtheningà when they are stimulated the muscle stretches & contracts

Golgi Tendon Organ=tensionà when stimulated the muscle relaxes

HERE IS THE EYE OPENER AND THE REASON WHY AND HOW SMR WORKS!!!!::

                If the body goes onto the foam roller or a roller puts pressure on the muscles, something awesome happens in the body where the change in tension is in a solid relationship with the intensity and time which means that the muscle spindle activity is stopped (trigger points/knots targeted), which in turn means the pain is reduced!! (THAT IS ALWAYS THE GOAL RIGHT ?!)

                NASMs way of putting it: When a change in tension is sustained at an adequate intensity and duration, muscle spindle activity is inhibited causing a decrease in trigger point activity, accompanied by a reduction of pain

                With the mention of some science behind the process we can start to talk about some benefits from NASM (with a little thrown in and a few changes made by me for understanding)  :

• Correction of muscle imbalances
• Muscle relaxation
• Improved joint range of motion
• Improved neuromuscular efficiency
• Reduced soreness and improved tissue recovery
• Suppression/reduction of trigger point sensitivity and pain
• Decreased neuromuscular hypertonicity (muscular contractions that cause chronic pain)
• Provide optimal length-tension relationships (length and isometric force when muscle active)
• Decrease the overall effects of stress on the human movement system

If you are not convinced then you probably do not have pain anywhere and you are extremely lucky for that or you are in denial (sorry) but just gotta try it out!!! lol

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