I’m a big fan of foam rolling, and really need to do it more often!  I tend to roll out my muscles after a race or long run, but they would certainly benefit from regular work.  I mean seriously!  If I have the opportunity to get a sweet little massage for my legs after every run, why wouldn’t I do it?  Lack of time…  The oldest excuse in the books, and one I hear often from my clients!  I’m here to publicly say that I’m going to spend more quality time with my foam rollers in the future.  I have four rollers to choose from.  The most basic is the High Density Foam Roller, the medium one is the The Grid Foam Roller, and the evil one is the Rumbleroller Deep-Tissue Massage Roller.  Slightly different, but of the same idea is The Stick, the first item I purchased for post-run muscle massage.

FoamRollers

How does self-massage therapy work?  Our muscles are covered in a thin layer of connective tissue called fascia.  Overuse and injuries can lead to “trigger points,” or specific areas of the muscle/fascia that no longer function optimally.  These trigger points can be worked out, or released, allowing for the muscles to function without limitations.

When a specific area feels tight or painful, a simple session with a roller may be all that you need. Once you are situated on your roller of choice, slowly roll your body part up and down the roller until you find a tender or painful point (trigger point).  Stay on this trigger point for ten to twenty seconds until it is released and the pain diminishes.  Continue to roll around that muscle group until all trigger points have been released, then move to the next muscle group that you want to massage.

Say that again, what do I do?  Rest the muscle group that you want to work on your foam roller.  In the picture below I am using the single leg method for less of a massage.  If your muscles are particularly sore, or you are new to foam rolling you might want to use this approach.  As you can see, I am using a very basic and smooth roller for the most minimal pain and effect.

In the following picture, I am crossing one leg over the leg I am working to apply more pressure to my calf.  You can see that this roller has ridges to apply a slightly deeper massage.

Here I am using a very bumpy roller to get the most complete deep-tissue massage on my quads.  This is like using a meat tenderizer on your legs!

In this picture, I am using my stick roller to massage my hamstrings.  The Stick provides a very similar massage, but you select the amount of pressure you want by how hard you pull or push on the handles.  You can use the same trigger point release as with the foam rollers.

Remember that last night we were going to see Despicable Me 2 with the boys?  It was really good, by the way…  Anyway, before the movie we grabbed a burger at a local burger joint called BurgerFi.  I mistakingly ordered the bucket of fries for the four of us.  Never order anything that comes in “bucket” size unless you are feeding twenty people!  We had a ton of fries leftover!  I thought the burger was quite good, and loved the branded BURGERFI across the bun!  I am easily impressed…

CheeseBurger

We are recovering by having grilled salmon, green beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers fresh from my parents’ garden for dinner tonight (the salmon isn’t from their garden)!

  • Questions:
  • Do you use a foam roller as part of your post-run routine?
  • Have you ever been to a BurgerFi?
  • If you eat burgers, what’s your favorite burger joint?