Foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release (SMR), is a method that has transformed from a once mysterious performance technique used only by professional athletes, coaches and therapists to a familiar practice used daily in fitness centers for many types of training and performance enhancement.
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Foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release (SMR), is a method that has transformed from a once mysterious performance technique used only by professional athletes, coaches and therapists to a familiar practice used daily in fitness centers for many types of training and performance enhancement.
Fascia is the connective tissue that holds muscles together throughout the body, and SMR is a very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle, sustained pressure into the myofascial connective tissue. This helps eliminate muscle and soft tissue restrictions, supports recovery, minimizes pain and restores range of motion.
SMR is a type of self-massage that can be used synonymously with foam rolling. Individuals of all fitness levels have adopted foam rolling into their routines for enhanced performance, a speedier recovery time between workouts and better overall training results.
Recent information, new technology and affordable product designs have introduced an increasing array of foam rollers and other self-massage products for improved training and recovery into the market. Foam rolling can be performed with a roller, a ball, the hands or many other options by applying pressure to specific points on the muscles or soft tissues of the body using a systematic approach.
Through this simple method, it is possible to aid in the recovery of muscles and assist them in returning to a more relaxed state and, therefore, normal function. Normal function means muscles are elastic, healthy and ready to perform.
The Role of Recovery
The magic of training for fitness and sport occurs between and after workouts. The workout is the stimulus for change, so recovery after and between is essential for competitive and recreational athletes alike to find homeostasis and gain the necessary improvements in strength, cardiovascular conditioning or other desired benefits.
Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all method. An appropriate recovery program should be individualized for each individual and take into consideration.
Lack of time for adequate recovery puts athletes at risk for decreased performance, burnout and injury. In fact, exercise physiologists have identified specific types of over training: overtraining syndrome, and functional and nonfunctional overreaching (FOR and NFOR).
Signs and symptoms of overtraining syndrome include increased fatigue, lower fitness and athletic performance, muscular and physiological stress, sleeplessness, interrupted sleep cycles, appetite issues, heart rate variability, dehydration and many others.
Overtraining is a process that can result in overreaching. FOR may be used as a stimulus to add an extra push into an athlete’s program or routine, which is particularly helpful when competition is forthcoming. Although this type of overtraining may be helpful, it needs to be closely monitored.
NFOR is when this overtraining concept is taken too far for too long, and the athlete does not benefit from the additional stress; rather, they experience diminished performance because of the lack of recovery, likely even long-term injury.
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How Foam Rolling Works
The deep compression of SMR allows for consistent blood flow to the deep and superficial muscles of the body, and aids in the restoration process and recovery from exercise of healthy tissue. The body naturally wants to be healthy and strong, but often with training, poor posture, nutritional deficiencies, dehydration and other lifestyle factors, an extra boost is needed to achieve optimal muscle and tissue health.
When the compression of the rolling or massage device is applied to a specific area of the body, blood flow is cut off or obstructed, creating a deficit. However, when the tissue is released, blood flows back into the area with more pressure, flushing the tissue with oxygen and other nutrients.
This flush-back effect not only causes more nutrient-rich blood to flow back into the area, but it allows for the release of waste. It also decreases the tendency for adhesions to develop by addressing the fascia.
The foam roller can work as an external device to release pressure and increase blood flow in these local, muscular areas.
Foam Rolling Benefits
Foam rolling can be an important part of total body recovery, a dynamic warmup or a transition out of an exercise session. The overall benefits of foam rolling can include but are not limited to the following.
- Corrects muscle imbalances: Rolling can help ease muscular tightness, which in turn relieves the imbalance between muscle groups, or agonist and antagonist muscles. For example, a tight hamstring (agonist) may limit the range of motion in the quadriceps (antagonist).
- Improves tissue tolerance: Foam rolling and SMR can improve the toughness and density of muscle tissues, which is why repeated rolling can result in the need for denser rollers and harder surfaces to achieve the same benefits over time.
- Improves joint range of motion: Self-massages performed on the bottom of the foot using a small ball may enable greater extension of the toes and the ankle joint, allowing for a greater range of motion through that area.
- Decreases muscle soreness and pain: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) has many causes. Foam rolling brings more blood flow to the muscle group(s) that need healing and recovery. This decreases the duration of DOMS and the potential for muscle or joint pain caused by activity.
- Enhances performance: Releasing trigger points can help reestablish proper movement patterns and pain-free movement, ultimately with the goal of enhancing overall performance.
- Promotes circulation: Foam rolling and self-massage techniques promote circulation and the flushing of metabolic waste products. Total body rolling after a workout can begin that recovery process.
The Importance of Trigger Points
Foam rolling helps release tightness in the muscles and fascia of the body. These muscular and fascial adhesions are also known as trigger points. Releasing trigger points helps reestablish proper movement patterns and pain-free movement to enhance performance.
Many trigger point therapies attempt to shut down pain signals with sustained pressure to the area. These techniques can result in a disruption of long-term restrictions, which can contribute immensely to inefficient and even painful movement patterns. This, in turn, causes joints and tissues to work harder to attain the ranges of motion that are crucial to movement success. Many times, such inefficiencies can lead to inflammatory responses in muscles and fascia.
To understand trigger points, imagine a bungee cord with a knot tied into it. Envision stretching the cord and creating tension, thus stretching the unknotted portion of the cord (representing the muscle and the attachment points like tendons and possible ligaments). The knot, however, remains unaltered.
Using a foam roller or other self-massage device can break up these muscle knots, resuming normal blood flow and function to the soft tissues. The goal of this corrective recovery technique is to get the athlete or fitness enthusiast back to the point of pain-free, normal functioning.
Sara Kooperman, JD, is CEO of SCW Fitness Education, WATERinMOTION and S.E.A.T. Fitness. Kooperman won the 2022 Most Innovating Fitness Pro by Fitness Industry Technology Council and is an inductee into the National Fitness Hall of Fame. She is also an esteemed panelist for IHRSA’s Talks & Takes Monthly Talk Show.
