I Never Heard Of Myofascial Release! Did You?
What the heck is myofascial release? That’s what I thought when I first heard about this term. I honestly started thinking this was garbage nonsense about some new gidget or gadget fitness trend that is claiming to bring me better results. But what I really learned is that myofascial release does in fact have many benefits and can help you muscles recover so that you can better results later on. I know myself that working out 6 days a week can be taxing on my body. Dealing with sore muscles is one thing but making sure you are not overtraining is another. But applying something called myofascial release will help your body recover so you can get back in the game and still give your workouts 100%. Myofascial release is soft tissue therapy you can apply to muscles that are suffering from soreness, pain, tightness and even restricted movement. Fascia is the soft tissue portion of your body that supports the connective tissue within yourself and more specifically your muscles. When you exercise for an extended period of time this soft tissue is limited in its ability to support your body because of overuse, soreness, tightness and even sometimes lack of activity. After a long workout your goal is to help your muscles relax and recover. Through this soft tissue therapy called myofascial release this will allow your muscles to do just that.
Great Way To Apply Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release
I think one of the best ways to apply myofascial release is through the use of a foam roller or even a rumble roller. This will allow you to apply this soft tissue therapy right in the comfort of your own home. You can experience myofascial release through the use of a massage therapist by getting a massage but you can always simply do it at home. When you use the foam roller the idea is to roll it over the area that is tender i.e. quad and once you find that sensitive spot aka myofascial trigger points you stop and let the roller sit there for thirty to sixty seconds. This will give the roller time to let your muscles relax and recover. The first time I used this it me cringe. I never knew how many sensitive spots I had in my muscles. But within a few seconds a total sense of relief and relaxation came upon me. I felt like the knot or trigger point literally worked itself out. I embrace my rumble roller whenever I use it because it feels like I am getting a great sports massage. I frequently use my rumble roller while I’m watching tv or just at night before I go to bed. I have truly learned that in order for your muscles to grow and recover you have to give them not only time to rest but time to heal. That’s why stretching is very important but also applying a soft tissue therapy like this should be embraced by all. All too frequently you hear about people getting injured and hurt and a lot of times its from overtraining. You must be very careful so this doesn’t happen to you. Having the ability to apply myofascial release a few times a week right at home is something that I would highly recommend to all my clients in the fitness and nutrition field.
Foam Roller Or Rumble Roller For Myofascial Release?
Myofascial Release
So when it comes to myofascial release both the foam roller and the rumble roller are excellent tools. However, the rumble roller has a series of nuggets along the rumble roller that act like the hands of a massage therapist really working on your muscles. Its simply a myofascial release massage! 🙂 The kneading action you can get on your muscles is increased because as you move the rumble roller the actually bumps will work your soft connective tissue in multiple directions. The bumps on the rumble roller are not as hard as your bones but firmer than your soft tissue so if it rolls over any bony parts of your body it will be deflected away to avoid any type of serious pain. All of the bumps are approximately two inches apart which allow multiple bumps to make contact with the same muscle tissue. A simple foam roller will do the trick but the rumble roller just amplifies the results and massage. I did start off just using the simple rumble roller but after learning about the rumble roller I switched to that and realized it was that much better for myofascial release.
Get Your Foam Roller Today To Experience The Myofasical Release
So if you have seen people at the local gyms using those foam rollers and always wondered exactly what they were doing well now you now. Myofascial release is a new applied science that will help your body recover. If you have any questions regarding myofascial release feel free to Contact Me. I also first started using the foam and rumble roller in P90x2 which uses the foam and rumble roller through every workout in the program. I hope this blog on myofascial release helped you learn about a new applied science to help your body recover.
Your Coach,
DAVE
