FOAM ROLLING: BETTER WORKOUTS, LESS PAIN
HOW TO VIDEOS BELOW!
You’ve finally gotten to the gym after a long day of sitting at a desk. Good news… you’re here! Bad news… you’re stiff. The best way to relieve this stiffness and prepare for exercise is to start a foam rolling routine. Please help yourself to a buffet of foam rollers in our foundations room, turf room, and second floor pilates studio. Can’t spend that much time at the Club? Purchase your own to use at home from any sporting goods store.
Pre-Workout Routine:
How will foam rolling help my workout?
- Causes an increase in blood flow to muscles.
- Relieves trigger points that may inhibit full range of motion through a joint.
- Increases flexibility of the muscles.
- Prevents injury.
- Reduces soreness.
Where do I start?
- Begin rolling the muscles that are closest to the heart. For the lower body start with the glutes and work down to the calves. For the upper body start with the upper back and work out to the lats and triceps.
- Begin rolling the muscle to loosen the tissue until you find a point of tension. This is your trigger point! Hold the roller on the trigger point for 10-30 seconds. Take deep breaths to make a conscious effort to relax the muscle and release the trigger.
- From there continue rolling until you find the next point of tension and repeat Step 2.
- Repeat this technique on all areas working away from the heart. This will allow for efficient blood flow to all muscles for a great workout!
Post-Workout Routine:
But wait! You can foam roll to cool down from a workout. Repeat the steps above to remove any points of tension that may have developed during the workout. This will prevent soreness and stiffness the next day.
Click here for videos to show exactly how to foam roll all the major muscle groups.
Check out our quick instructional videos to see demonstrations and step-by-step procedures on foam rolling all the major muscle groups!
