Foam roller exercises: how to get the most out of your roller, and its limitations: tips from a China Olympic team chiropractor
You can’t walk into a gym without seeing one, but what use are foam rollers? Strength and conditioning specialist Ian Shaw shows the best ways to use one and how to maximise the long-term benefits rolling delivers to your body
Some are ribbed, some vibrate, some are longer, some are harder … and you’ve probably seen them at your gym, or in fitness stores. Foam rollers are practically a staple in every 21st century fitness routine – but what do they do, exactly?
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Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR), which is said to increase flexibility, range of motion (ROM) and blood flow while reducing pain in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints – collectively called your connective tissues.
Its advocates say it helps relax your muscles so you can perform certain movements – such as squats – more easily, or relieve tension from sitting at your desk all day. It is also proven to be more effective than static stretching because it can target sore or stiff spots more effectively.
Unfortunately, the positive effects of foam rolling on your connective tissues lasts no more than 10 minutes because the force it exerts on your connective tissues is small.
Take the iliotibial (IT) band – a ligament that extends from the hip to the shin – as an example. “Exerting 900kg of force onto your IT band would deform it by only one per cent, so by foam rolling it, you’re doing very little to it,” explains Ian Shaw, who is set to be a chiropractor with the Chinese Olympic team, and is a strength and conditioning specialist.
