How often to foam roll?

mzbek24
mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
edited February 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm running 4-5x per week, never really gotten into using a foam roller until recently. The first time I did, I must have gone too hard because I needed a couple days off to recover from extra sore muscles. I found it unpleasant, so I gave up for a bit/kept forgetting to get it out after workouts. Having another go now, but just wondering, how often do you think is ideal to foam roll? I wanted it to help with recovery.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,914 Member
    Foam rolling helps to "massage" the muscle, but it doesn't work on recovery any faster than just resting. Recovery is more dependent on rest and nutrition for it.
    That said, lots of people feel better after foam rolling so do it as often as you feel you need to.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • afisher0516
    afisher0516 Posts: 2 Member
    Foam rolling is used to help focus on muscles that are tight prior to exercising. I, myself, have tight hamstrings and these kill my run. I started using a foam roller prior to my runs on my hamstrings, my running had improved. I recommend also stretching prior to using the roller to get the blood moving to the muscles and warming them up.

    Give it another go again and see if a little less pressure helps...and focusing more on your tighter muscles
  • afisher0516
    afisher0516 Posts: 2 Member
    afisher0516 wrote: »
    Foam rolling is used to help focus on muscles that are tight prior to exercising. I, myself, have tight hamstrings and these kill my run. I started using a foam roller prior to my runs on my hamstrings, my running had improved. I recommend also stretching prior to using the roller to get the blood moving to the muscles and warming them up.

    Give it another go again and see if a little less pressure helps...and focusing more on your tighter muscles.

    Best of luck!!!
  • lindagrimm904
    lindagrimm904 Posts: 87 Member
    What is a foam roller? Please anyone answer!
  • dsgoingtodoit
    dsgoingtodoit Posts: 803 Member
    lindagrimm904 http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+foam+roller&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=33847003555&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13159990193346324358&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_12ptjw42bo_b
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    edited February 2015
    I started using the foam roller after weight lifting (and subsequent treadmill cool-down) on my glutes & legs, and before my static stretches, and I am finding that I have much less DOMS since I started doing that. It might be a coincidence (i.e., I would have less post-workout soreness anyway without the rolling by now) but it certainly feels like it's worth continuing.
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    Yeah I had much less DOMS when I got a leg massage after a big workout, so I figured it might produce similar results. I read an article last night saying that massage doesn't do what people usually say it does (remove toxins or lactic acid etc) but *some* research shows it can help reduce the intensity of DOMS and may help reduce inflammation.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,914 Member
    afisher0516 wrote: »
    Foam rolling is used to help focus on muscles that are tight prior to exercising. I, myself, have tight hamstrings and these kill my run. I started using a foam roller prior to my runs on my hamstrings, my running had improved. I recommend also stretching prior to using the roller to get the blood moving to the muscles and warming them up.

    Give it another go again and see if a little less pressure helps...and focusing more on your tighter muscles
    If your hamstrings are tight though, foam rolling won't increase it's flexibility. That's done through flexibility exercises like static or PNF stretching. Also just emphasizing that the type of stretching to be done before any exercise should be dynamic in nature and not static. Never static stretch cold muscles.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,914 Member
    mzbek24 wrote: »
    Yeah I had much less DOMS when I got a leg massage after a big workout, so I figured it might produce similar results. I read an article last night saying that massage doesn't do what people usually say it does (remove toxins or lactic acid etc) but *some* research shows it can help reduce the intensity of DOMS and may help reduce inflammation.
    I'm curious as to how you're still getting DOMS if you're running 4-5x's a week?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    edited February 2015
    Not noticing that so much at the moment, It's normally an immediate soreness after, which recovers quickly, but when I was training for my half late last year, I was weight training on run days three times a week. I was running less days then than now, though, and I often had DOMS then, so I got a foam roller.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Foam rolling feels great (well, when you stop), but is not a cure for anything.

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