Why I Have To Use The Foam Roller!

 Without fail, the first thing you'll see me do before I start any exercise session, is grab my 36 inch piece of cylindrical foam and begin to roll out any tight and dense areas in my body. Knowing what I now know about exercise, I feel this is something that everyone should incorporate into their exercise routines. Point blank... the benefits of using the foam roller are seriously undervalued!

 Self Myofascial Release is the name of the technique that explains foam rolling.There are other forms of myofascial release...massages, Muscle Activation Technique(MAT) and Active Release Therapy. Foam rolling is just the poor man's version of these amazing self massage techniques. 

  Hands on soft tissue work has clearly changed our attitude and understanding on the issue of injury prevention and optimal performance. Finding hot spots throughout the body and applying self massage  will have a huge impact on not only your ability to move around pain free, but also dramatically improve your overall posture. 

 At Dynamic Solutions we stress the training of movement and not muscles. This is the number one reason why self massage has to be emphasized in any training program.  It's virtually impossible to perform any primal pattern(push,pull, bend, twist, lunge, squat) with proper technique if our muscles are tight and our ranges of motion are restricted. If just one segment of the body is not functioning properly, then the other parts of the body will compensate. What does this mean? Tissue overload, premature fatigue and faulty movement patterns will eventually lead to injury.

  Here are the major benefits of self massage

1.Correct muscle imbalances

2.Increase joint range of motion

3.Relieve muscle soreness and joint stress

4.Enhance neuromuscular efficiency

5. Help to maintain normal functional muscular length

 So its simple!! If you want to get healthier while improving function, either get yourself a good certified ART specialist on your team, or take 20 bucks down to your local sporting goods store and purchase a foam roller now. I'll never begin a workout without mine!

  Check out this short video series by Cressey Performance