Foam Rolling Technique – Self-Myofascial Release
In this post, we are introducing you the most cost-effective and easy means of massaging aching muscles or trigger points – Foam Rolling Technique-Self-Myofascial Release (SMR). This is one of the best self-massage techniques that you can perform anywhere you want at anytime.
The History Of Foam Rolling (SMR Technique)
First let us take look of the development of foam rolling technique:
Back to 1980s, Moshé Feldenkrais has been the first person who used foam rollers as a ways of body supporting and helping body improve balance ability. He himself was a distinguished scientist, physicist and martial artist. This initial idea of foam rolling or SMR technique can be found in ”Feldenkrais Method”.
In 1996, this years marked a person Sean Gallagher who had extended foam rolling technique to the dancers at the Broadway show and made foam rollers as an easy and affordable methods of massage. Then during 1990s, Sean Gallagher and his students has published lost of paperwork concerning foam rolling. There should be a note for physical therapist Mike Clark. He has introduced the term “SMR also self-myofascial release” which has the same meaning as foam rolling.
Then in 2004, the first foam roller related patent was registered in USA. This meant the business of foam roller had been becoming growing over time.
Till now, as you can see, foam rollers have become more and more popular with people of all ages and abilities. Foam rolling is now one of the best and easiest methods of self-massaging.
Benefits of Foam Rolling Technique
Do not hesitate to try out the easy and affordable foam rolling techniques with a foam roller. You will be surely amazed by what it can give to your body. Below we are taking about the benefits foam rolling can bring to you. First check out some main benefits:
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Reduce Painful Tissue and Trigger Point
Foam Rolling is the technique or method you can easily use to alleviate sore tissue and trigger point in several parts of your body. You can find it works in a very short period of time after foam rolling. Using a foam roller can quickly relieve muscle tightness and freshen your body. When foam rolling can effectively increase the endorphins in your body which helps to reduce pain and thus reduce the pain and sensitivity at the trigger points
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Improve Flexibility and Mobility
Foam Rolling is a great way to help improve body flexibility and mobility. When using a foam roller to perform SMR, it is actually like perform Yoga or Pilates. You can make every move along with the long round foam roller. They are usually long enough for your to stretch your whole body on it. Move your body on it and you will feel the relaxation and massaging it brings
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Strengthen Body Recovery Ability After Exercise
After tight exercise or sports, you could usually have a tight body in a intense state. In this situation, your body needs to take much more time to recover compared with others using foam rolling method. Foam rolling can also deeply improve your flood circulation, and this helps to recover your damaged muscles and soft tissues. Please also note when you feeling a pain tissue, first consult with a professional or therapist before foam rolling by yourself.
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Enhance Balance Ability
As you can see, foam rolling technique also self-myofascial release (SMR) is usually performed with foam rollers. Foam roller is a long cylinder shape tools. When you use foam rollers for self-massage, you can almost roll your whole body on it. This can surely help improve your body balance and coordination. Elders can also use foam rollers for improving body balance under the guide of professionals.
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Reduce Pressure and Stress
Rolling your body on foam roller is like having massage for your body. It can not only help reduce body trigger points, but also increase the circulation of your blood and metabolism. A habit of foam rolling can keep you away from pressure and stress just like what Yoga can do for you. When you stretch your body on a foam roller, you will find yourself totally relaxed and get massaged just like therapist hands do.
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Other Benefits
Long term foam rolling can help you build up a healthy fitness habit. It can not only relieve your painful tissue and increase body recovery after intense exercise, but help you enhance mental strength and health. Just lay your body gently on a foam roller, let it rolling around the part of your body that you want have massage on. Then you can get a strong sense of relaxation and refreshment.
So do not wait to get a foam roller and enjoy foam rolling on it. It will bring a lot more of benefits to your life once you get started with it everyday.
Mistakes To Avoid While Foam Rolling
Since foam rolling can bring so many benefits to your body, you should get note of the potential and common mistakes that you will make when performing foam rolling. Get to know the below mistakes in order to have a better control of this techniques.
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Rolling Directly Over Painful Tissues
Do not foam rolling directly over your painful part of body. There is the possibility that this wrong practice may lead to increased inflammation and tissue damage. It is highly recommend to roll a few distance away from the painful area. If you find your body condition gets worse, please stop foam rolling and consult with professionals and therapists.
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Rolling On It Too Quickly
This is a very common mistake that foam roller players make. When foam rolling, if you roll your body on foam roller too fast, the tissues or muscles has actually been compressed too much. This will not help reduce trigger points, but might aggravate the painful tissue. So the foam rolling techniques should be applied slowly upon your body.
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Too Much Time On Just One Spot
Sometimes some foam rolling enthusiasts like to spend lot of time only on a spot of body. This is actually dangerous for you. Based on summarized statistics, spending more that 5 minutes on one spot can result in damaged nerves, tissues and blood vessel. Just image that your whole body is placed on a single spot, potential injury is easy to occur.
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Foam Rolling Starting With A Incorrect Posture
Before foam rolling, you should have known the right posture guided by professionals and therapists. If you play foam rolling in a incorrect position, this can not only reduce the effect of the extract function foam rolling can do for you, but cause injury and worsen postural deviations. So be sure to follow the professional foam rolling techniques guide for how to foam rolling.
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Choosing A Wrong Firmness Of Foam Roller
This is also a quite common mistakes happening to many foam roller lovers. Some people may be new to foam rolling technique who are also not familiar with how to use this sports tool and what types of foam roller fit their need. The best suggestion would be for starter, you could get started with a soft foam roller. The soft foam roller usually made of low density Polyethylene foam or medium density EVA foam roller. For experienced foam roller lovers, as they have better master of foam rollers, we would suggest high firmness or densities foam rollers for them such as high firmness EPP foam roller or trigger point grid EVA foam roller.
Conclusion: Start Enjoying Foam Rolling Now
Foam rolling technique also Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) has been so amazingly helpful for our body health. So find a suitable foam roller and sart enjoying rolling on it. Do not forget that find a good partner to play foam rolling with you, it can make you more desperately stick to long term foam rolling.
Thanks, great article.
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