Foam rollers, like stability balls and bands, started in physiotherapy and have now found their way into mainstream fitness training and classes. Foam rollers are a full or semi-circular log shape and range from 1-3 feet long. Made from varying densities of foam, they also come in smoother or textured finishes.

Sharing these tools and techniques between physiotherapy and fitness can be a positive shift for everyone:

  • For fitness professionals -- it increases our knowledge and skills to help clients and participants with more "functional" training that focuses on overall balance, posture and health
  • For health practioners -- it increases options for clients to complete rehabilitation exercises if they can perform them at home or at the gym since clients often cut their sessions short
  • For clients -- increasing education and opportunities to focus on functional movement and developing overall balance improves strength for everyday activities in sport and life and decreases the risk of injury

Initially incorporated into Yoga and Pilates for core and self-massage, we've now found numerous ways they can be used for flexibility and fitness.

How it works -- for flexibility and self-massage

When you roll on the foam, you stimulate muscular tension and kick in your "autogenic inhibition" process – which is the protective mechanism that prevents muscles from exerting more force than the bones and tendons can tolerate. Bottom line - this relaxes stiff muscles, diminishes trigger points, increases circulation and increases range of motion.

You can use the roller against the muscle knots with your own body weight to generate direct pressure similar to that used in massage therapy. A foam roller is a good alternative or addition to massage to work on muscle tension, scar tissue and range of motion on a more regular basis.

How it works -- for core and strength

Foam rollers can be used for both support and an additional stability challenge for core and strength conditioning.

Lying down on the foam roller with either your full or partial torso will allow you the range of motion and elevation required to perform exercises such as chest press, chest flyes or rear delt flyes while requiring more activation of core muscle.

Using the foam roller as a stability tool with various combinations with your hands and feet, again, adds more stability challenge and intensity by changing the muscle recruitment required based. Doing squats with one foot and then both feet on a half roller ends up being a totally different challenge to your body.

You can also add progressions and options to your exercises at home or at the gym by layering stability challenges. You could start with a lunge with your rear foot up on a half roller then a full roller progressing to your front foot up on the half roller. Perform these without weights first and then start to introduce weights -- hold weight in only one hand for even more balance challenge!

Benefits of using a foam roller:

  • Inexpensive -- foam rollers range from $15-$60 based on the length and foam density
  • Easy to use -- once you learn key points, foam roller techniques are easy to apply on your own
  • Easy to store -- unlike a lot of home equipment, foam rollers are light and easy to store
  • Versatile -- foam rollers are great to use at the gym, at home or at the office for flexibility, core and conditioning

Tips for Using a Foam Roller

  • Warm up prior to using the foam roller for flexibility
  • Start with the roller under soft tissue areas that have tightness – work from the centre of the body out toward your extremities
  • Keep your abdominals tight to provide stability to your core area
  • Spend 1-2 minutes working on each side of the body or muscle group
  • When you find a trigger point (sensitive area) hold for 30-45 seconds
  • Breathe slowly and deeply to reduce any tense reflexes

Cautions

  • Move slowly
  • Avoid rolling over bony areas -- stay on the soft tissue!
  • Expect some discomfort – you may want to start by applying only a portion of your body weight
  • Check with your doctor, chiropractor, physiotherapist or massage therapist to ensure you're doing exercises properly and that you're not doing contraindicated exercises (that work against any injuries or issues)

The foam roller can be a multi-functional fitness tool -- for flexibility, fitness and ergonomics. When using the roller for self-massage or myofacial release techniques, however, keep your first few sessions short at first. Start with 5-15 minutes and gradually increase the time and intensity.

For more exercise outlines and information on foam rollers and more for fitness, visit www.libbynorris.com