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Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release. Self-myofascial release is an alternative massage therapy exercise that is beneficial for your Fascia. Fascia are thin bands of connective tissue that wrap attached organs, blood vessels, nerves and muscles together. Foam rolling releases the tension of fascia and helps by:
- Preventing injuries
- Alleviating muscle tightness
- Relieving muscle soreness
- Preventing inflammation
- Improving joints range of motion
- Improving blood circulation
When should you foam roll? It is important to perform SMR before and after a workout because it helps to release tension on your muscles so that you can use your full range of motion. You can foam roll any time you experience soreness. You can also foam roll when you aren’t experiencing soreness, but make sure to not foam roll too much or put a lot of pressure on your sore muscles because that can cause inflammation and bruises. If you feel a lot of pain, your muscles could be inflamed, torn, or you’ve done too much foam rolling. If this happens, we recommend that you let yourself heal instead of trying to foam roll even more. Foam rolling excessively will injure your muscles.
The Yip Fitness program recommends foam rolling because it will enhance your mobility for the exercises that we do during class. Please refer to https://yipfitness.com/client-homework/ so that you can learn how to properly foam roll.
There are different types of tools that you can use to achieve self-myofascial release such as a tennis ball, a lacrosse ball and a foam roller. Here are our recommendations for foam rolling:
Level 1 – Tennis Balls:
We recommend using a tennis ball for beginners that have never used a tool for massage therapy.
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Great size for specific body areas such as the foot, back, neck, shoulders, etc
- Softer exterior so that you won’t bruise easily
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Soften under pressure so not long lasting
- Only for beginners
We recommend Wilson Prime Tennis Balls because they come in 3 balls in one can.
You can buy them on Amazon for $7+.
Level 2 – Lacrosse Balls:
Lacrosse balls are also great for beginners and they provide a deep tissue massage.
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Great size for specific body areas such as the foot, back, neck, shoulders, etc
- Harder and denser exterior
- Long lasting
- Easy to clean
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Small size, can be lost easily
- Harder and denser exterior can cause bruising if not used properly
We recommend Champion Sports Official Lacrosse Balls. They come in packs of 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12.
You can buy them on Amazon for $6+.
Level 3 – Foam Rollers:
Lastly, we have foam rollers. Foam rollers have their own sub-levels.
Most common foam rollers are made of foam material. Other foam rollers have a harder exterior material for a deeper tissue massage and are for the intermediate to advanced level.
Pros:
- Great for full body rolling,such as thighs, legs, arms, etc.
- For all levels
- Different levels for each person
- Multiple sizes
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- For full body rolling, not specific areas
- Bigger size so takes up more space
- Price is more than a tennis/lacrosse ball
We recommend ProsourceFit Foam Rollers. There are multiple sizes and they also include half cylinders so that it can be stationary.
You can buy it on Amazon for $10+.
TriggerPoint is also a good brand for foam rollers. The TriggerPoint CORE Foam Roller has ridges that make it more advanced than the ProsourceFit Foam Roller.
TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller is an intermediate level foam roller. It is much harder material because of the hollow core.
You can buy it on Amazon for $30+.
321 STRONG Foam Roller – Medium Density is an advanced foam roller. The harder material and ridges provide a medium density deep tissue massage.
You can buy it on Amazon for $23+.
321 STRONG Foam Roller – High Density is an even more advanced foam roller. The unique levels of ridges provide a high density deep tissue massage.
Please add: You can buy it on Amazon for $24+
Whether you want to improve your posture or just relax your muscles, foam rolling is the ideal massage therapy for you! These recommendations aren’t required for our program but highly recommended!
Love,
Yip Fitness Family
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Prices may vary, please click the links to see the price.