This week I spent a few hours with one of the residential remedial instructors on the Islands going through how to use of a foam roller. Now I know it might seem like a simple thing to do but if done properly it can be effective. Like I said if done properly! Like most of you I used to grab it and roll around on the floor and generally have a few aches and pains that eventually eased and calmed down. Maybe did a little stretch here and there. Most of the time it was something that collected dust in the corner of my room or gym. Like you all, I also checked out the internet for a few articles, a quick scan read and back on the roller to target a few other areas. It all seemed to be working when I could be bothered to give it a go.
After 1 hr of focused attention on just foam rollers I have begun to learn so much more about targeting areas and focused rolling, flossing and how to roll effectively. Now I am not qualified to tell you how to do it. Thats the RIs or a physio that charges roll. I will say to you all read a few more articles and understand that it is more than just 5 mins of rolling on the floor that will make the difference. It will be 30mins each day with 5mins per area in a slow methodical manner, targeting even your supple areas. At times you will hit the roof (I did this week when I thought I could do it on a Grid Roller). It will be painful, you will ache but in the end you will be doing it properly.
I have found a few good exercises in the following articles which you might be interested in reading.
Guardian - How to use a foam roller (a runners guide)
About Health - How to use a Foam Roller for Myofascial release
The main thing is ask for advise from a trained professional. No matter how experienced you are having someone check your form and provide you with some qualified advice can pay dividends especially when it comes to preventing injuries. Prevention is better than cure, and good form is step one in preventing injuries.
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