Soooo. Theoretically, how much is foam rolling..

AsellusReborn
AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
...supposed to hurt?

I've googled the ITB exercise and watched several youtube videos to make sure I did it right, but it sure hurt. I'm adding this to my routine proactively so I can avoid an ITB injury as I ramp up my miles...but wow, it hurt. Am I doing something wrong that can't be seen in a video? Or is this just the way it is?

Replies

  • eh0201
    eh0201 Posts: 1
    It hurts.. A LOT. I curse and was to brought to tears a time or two when I was battling ITBS. The more you do it the less it will hurt!
  • lindsy721
    lindsy721 Posts: 350 Member
    The first time I used a foam roller I was with a personal trainer, and his words to me were, "It's going to feel like someone is stabbing you with a knife."

    And it did.

    But it doesn't anymore. Start at your knee and roll up toward your hip (going the other way, I am told by an LMP, can potentially lead to varicose veins) and wherever it hurts the most, just hang out there for a few seconds (long as you can stand it) and the pain should dissipate somewhat. Then keep going.

    I use my foam roller a lot and honestly it barely ever hurts anymore. So there is hope!
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    Foam rolling generally hurts when I do it. On my back it "hurts so good" but on several other muscles (shins, chest, quads) it mostly just hurts.

    Try to control the pressure (and amount of pain) by how much of your weight you press against it. To really loosen and work the soft tissue does hurt... I generally am wincing when I do it, but it shouldn't reach the point that you're flinching away from it.

    This is just my personal experience. It really really does help though. Good on you for doing "pre-hab" before an injury. A bit of prevention is worth a lot of recovery!
  • Sarah_Wins
    Sarah_Wins Posts: 936 Member
    If you can't take a wimpy foam roller, whatever you do, do NOT try a rumble roller.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    A lot. I mean, A LOT. And I get deep tissue massages from a woman that was born with vice grips instead of hands and have no problems with her, but 5 mins of foam rolling and I'm cussing like a sailor.

    Edited to add: I use a rumble roller. Did I mention it hurts? A LOT?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    yeah, depends where, but for me with the ITB? Oh.MY.GOD. it hurts. And, for me, it does a lot of good.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    If you can't take a wimpy foam roller, whatever you do, do NOT try a rumble roller.

    I use one on my shins and I swear the next time my trainer asks how it feels, I'm either going to punch him or ram it down his throat so he can feel it from the inside out. -_-
  • briebear77
    briebear77 Posts: 253 Member
    It KILLS me but makes me feel SO much better afterwards. I have started doing it again and it's definitely helping with my back pain.
  • AngelRobbie
    AngelRobbie Posts: 153 Member
    I was just introduced to the foam roller a few weeks ago, while training for my first half marathon. Oh. My. Gosh. I thought I was going to die the first time I tried it, but the next day I was so damn glad I did! I felt like a whole new woman! Seriously, tough it out if you can :)
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
    All righty then! I knew it was going to not feel like a feather bed, but the pain shocked me. I could barely stand a few seconds...had to force myself to do it for 15 seconds a side. At least there's hope.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    i think it feels great
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
    Whoa, lots of responses while I wrote that out! Thank you all for the input, much appreciated.

    Good on you for doing "pre-hab" before an injury. A bit of prevention is worth a lot of recovery!


    I can't take credit, another user on here convinced me it would be smart so I went ahead and bought one. Now to try tolerate it! :)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    It is quite painful (I agree it is even more painful than deep tissue massage which has left me covered in bruises), but it gets less painful the longer you do it (not in ones session, but over time) and then you can apply more and more pressure. Doing the foam rolling is painful, but then the rest of life is much less painful because of it.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
    Yep, it's one of those "hurts so good" things. If it hurts, you're doing it right. It should, however, hurt less as you loosen up the muscles & tissues.
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    I've foam rolled at times and the worst spots for me are definitely the IT bands and lats. Holy hell do those hurt if you put a good bit of weight on them. Quads and hamstrings can hurt pretty good at times, as can the triceps - I've never had a ton of hurt from the back or chest. Calves at the right angles can be pretty dicey.

    Definitely a good thing to do here and there, foam rolling that is. I can only imagine if I were to use a rumble roller.
  • STLMel
    STLMel Posts: 18 Member
    Introduced to the foam roller by a personal trainer several months ago and now I use it just about every day. I carry a lot of stress in my back and the roller really relieves it. Plus when your muscles are really sore from a hard workout, it hurts so good.

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