- How to use the deep massage roller
- For knee pain
- For posterior thigh
- For calf pain
- For back pain
- Where to buy the Foam Roller
- Other uses of foam rollers
Using a firm foam roller is an excellent strategy to decrease muscle pain that arises after training because it helps to release and decrease tension in the fasciae, which are tissues that cover the muscles, thus increasing flexibility and fighting pain caused by physical exercise.
These rollers should be firm and contain jerks all around you so that they can massage your muscles more deeply, but there are also softer rollers that have a smoother surface that are great for increasing blood circulation before training, as a way of warming up, and also for smoother and relaxing massages at the end of a light workout when there is no pain.
How to use the deep massage roller
Its use is very simple and the benefits are great. In general, it is recommended to place the roller on the floor and use the weight of your own body to press the area you want to massage, taking care to stimulate all the muscle that is sore until you find the point of greatest pain, insisting with small movements in front of you. back in this sore spot.
The deep massage time for each area should be 5 to 7 minutes and the decrease in pain can be felt right after its use and is progressive, so the next day you will have even less pain but it is important to avoid rolling over the bone surfaces like elbows or knees.
To combat the pain that arises in the knee after running, for example, called iliotibial band syndrome, you must position yourself exactly as shown in the image above and use your body weight to slide the roller across the lateral extension of the thigh for at least minus 3 minutes. When you find a specific pain point near the knee, use the roller to massage that point for another 4 minutes.
To combat the pain in the back of the thigh, after a workout at the gym, for example, you should stay in the position above the image and let the weight of the body slide the roller along the entire hamstring region from the end of the hamstring. butt to the back of the knee. This stimulus will decrease muscle pain and will greatly increase the stretching capacity in the posterior region of the body and a good test that can demonstrate this benefit is to stretch the hamstrings before and after the deep massage.
For stretching you just need to stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend your body forward trying to place your hands (or forearms) on the floor, keeping your legs always straight.
Calf pain is common after training at the gym and also on the run and a great way to relieve this discomfort is to let the roller slide down the entire length of the twin leg muscles to the Achilles heel. In this case, you can let the roller slide on both legs at the same time, but for deeper work, do it with one leg at a time and at the end take the time to stretch the front of the leg keeping the position shown in the image above for about 30 seconds to 1 minute with each leg.
The sliding of the roller over the entire back area is very comforting and helps to overcome the pain caused by physical exercise and even after a bad night's sleep, when you wake up with back pain. You just need to stay in the position shown in the image and let the roller slide from the neck to the beginning of the butt. As the back area is larger you should insist on this massage for about 10 minutes.
Where to buy the Foam Roller
It is possible to buy the foam rollers like the ones that appear in the images in sporting goods, rehabilitation stores and also on the internet and the price varies according to the size, thickness and resistance of the product, but varies between 100 and 250 reais.
Other uses of foam rollers
In addition to being great for repairing injuries, increasing flexibility and fighting after the post-workout, the Foam Roller can also be used to practice exercises that strengthen the abdominal and lumbar spine muscles and also increase balance and that is why they are widely used in training classes. Yoga and Pilates.
