foam rolling

[LeeLee Weiland]

Any coaches or athletes out there that use foam rolling?  What benefits do you see if I may ask and do you use protocols like times/sets/reps?  Thanks :-)

[Fabio Pinna]

I use a wooden rolling pin. Not even kidding.

Not suitable for every part of the body, but for those that give me trouble (inner thighs and feet soles) it's perfect.

[Paul Gray]

Sometimes I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels with these things....how long should you concentrate on an area for, or quantity or reps? e.g 30?  Or just until you feel relief and the irritation goes?

My scapula/traps is the place where I have the most irritation and I use a la crosse ball - best done after a hot shower/bath?

[Eva Pelegrin]

@Paul Gray The areas you're describing are notorious for "trigger points" for the lack of a better word.

My preference is to first scan the tissue with the ball. I go straight to the point that has the most tension and hold it for time. It could be 30 seconds or more depending. I wait for the discomfort to go down to about 50-70% and surrender (key word) to the experience:) Rinse and repeat on the next spot. 

I don't like rolling all over the place, or at least not until I feel that I've ironed out the deeper spots. Then, I can use other rolling techniques. For instance, I typically like to pin a tissue and add some distal movement. I find the above order works best for me. 

Rolling is very personal. Best thing is to experiment with different techniques and see which one gets you a better result. Let me know how it goes!

[Daniel Taylor-Shaut]

I always find that I'm almost TOO sore the next day if I use a rumble roller on an area and hold for time. Otherwise, I would do this more. I typically gloss over every area. Correct? Incorrect?

[Mike Kelly]

I use roller or lacrosse ball to find some tight bit and do some contract/relax until I feel some release and then move onto another spot.  Gives me something productive to do while watching TV.

[Callum Muntz]

Not a coach, but can speak from personal experience. The last six months have included some very intensive lower limb training that resulted in numerous tight and sore points, which could have easily escelated to injury.

After seeking advice from a Physio, he advised me to foam roll (just a minute each point per day, so around 8 mins total). After only two weeks I was able to contain the potential injuries and reduce the soreness despite the increasing volumes and intensities. I maintained the rolling for the entire six months and was able to recover sufficiently each day - no tightness, significantly reduced soreness, no injuries or stress fractures. I would certainly, highly recommend Foam Rolling to anyone as a supporting recovery mechanism.

Food for thought mate.

- Callum