Focus on Recovery tools: Foam Roller

Foam Roller - a staple after every workout

One of the first recovery tools any runner starts to use are foam rollers. These became popular over ten years ago and can now be found in any weekend warrior’s house, local gyms and in many personal gym bags. They come in all sizes, colours, firmness, and groves, all intended to “breakdown” scar tissue similar to manual massage therapy.

Which is best?

Staring out, many like to use a softer roller over firmer ones. Firmer rollers give your muscles a harder surface and can cause greater discomfort. If you're uncomfortable, you're probably going to stop using it. Also, some muscles may benefit from a different level of firmness than others (such as a quad vs calves). I personally own a variety of em, from a plush squishy one (for my back), textured one for my IT band, and finally a 3 inch pipe (yes black piece of plumbing pipe you find at home depot) for my quads. Finally I recent acquired a vibrating foam roller for a good post run shake out. They all range in price from $10 (pipe) to $20 at Marshalls, to finally $120 for the fancy vibrating one. Some people swear by the vibrating foam roller, I think it’s a nice novelty to have, but certainly not a must have.

Ease of use?

The act of foam rolling itself can be uncomfortable. I must admit even for myself, getting on the ground after a long run, laying on my elbows and putting pressure on my legs and causing strain on my shoulders trying to hold up my upper is the last thing I want to do. While laying on the roller and going up and down is the common thought of how to use a roller, the magic happens when you roll perpendicular to the muscle. The Run Experience does a great video here.

Does it work?

The American College of Sport Medicine conducted a study in 2014, which looked at the effectiveness of foam roller use after an intense bout of physical activity (a little different than an endurance activity, but a study nonetheless). Their findings suggest that “foam rolling after a workout has substantial benefits, allowing an individual to better adhere to an exercise program because of decreased muscle soreness and attenuated loss in range of motion, improving an individual’s ability to maintain proper form when performing exercises”. They go on to state that “foam rollers also may be used as a tool to aid in the prevention of injuries by maintaining muscle activation patterns”.

You probably have one already or know someone who has one collecting dust in the corner of their basement. Adding foam rolling to your regular routine MAY help you recover or warm up better before a run or bike ride. I try to find time to roll out whenever I can by adding it to my regular routine while watching TV or youtube video.