Roll-Ga: Using the Foam Roller and Yoga for Athletes (and Non Athletes)

When I teach yoga to young athletes (and non athletes), I often add a fifteen-minute foam rolling routine into the class for myofascial release.  What is myofascial release?  When a masseuse does it for you...

If a masseuse is not available, we can give ourselves myofascial release, or self-massage, by using a foam roller and/or tennis ball.  There are hundreds of YouTube videos on foam rolling.  Check them out by searching for "foam roller" and "yoga therapy ball exercises" and you are ready to roll.

You can buy foam rollers at Target, Big 5, Amazon or any sport store.  They come in all different lengths and densities.  The denser the foam roller, the more intense the effect.

What is Myofascial Tissue or Fascia?

Myofascial tissue is a type of thin, strong, fibrous connective tissue that extends throughout your body to provide support and protection to your muscles and bones...You can think of myofascial tissue as being similar to a mesh bag that contains your groceries. It is pliable, and can expand and contract as the contents of the bag change. It envelops your body like a wet suit, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.

A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue.  It is a structure of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding some structures together, while permitting others to slide smoothly over each other.  Fasciae are similar to ligaments and tendons as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, tendons join muscle to bone and fasciae connect muscles to other muscles.

Why do we need to roll and release fascia, or connective tissue?

Our daily activities can make us sore, stiff or injured.  These activities are basically everything we do all day and all night long, including driving, sitting, exercising, lifting, walking, operating, bending, typing, standing, knitting, cooking, reaching, texting, sleeping, etc.  These daily activities aren't bad, but the way we perform them can result in aches and pains that need to be addressed.

One way to address areas of tightness is to roll the connective tissue (fascia) with foam rollers and/or tennis balls.  You will know what areas need to be rolled the first time you try this.  The areas that hurt the most are the places you should focus on.

What good does rolling do?

If it hurts to roll, why roll?  If you roll every day, especially on your sorest muscles, it will likely become less painful.  Rolling releases muscle tightness, breaks up knots and adhesions that cause restriction in motion and create pain, and helps sore muscles recover to normal function more quickly.  Imagine that a knot in a muscle is like a knot in a bungie cord that gets pulled and pulled with daily activities, but not removed.  Myofascial release (foam rolling, using a tennis ball or massage) helps to loosen the knot which resumes normal blood flow and function to the muscle.
(See more here.)

And then you have to get up the next day and do it again.  Staying healthy and pain free is an ongoing, daily commitment.