Does Foam Rolling Hurt?

What are the Do's & Dont's of Foam Rolling?

1. Choose the right tool for the job. You want a foam roller* that's firm and a bit knobbly, but not overly hard.

Otherwise, it will create so  much pain that it'll send your nervous system into overdrive.

2. Start at the bottom of your body/ each limb and work your way up slowly and with intention. I usually do each calf and each thigh in two steps. 

Just rolling backwards and forwards randomly up your body isn't that effective. Move at about 2cm/ second and move up for 4cm and back for 2cm. 

Find the gnarly spots and then go back to them for a little extra attention.

3. BREATHE! We want to try to limit the effect on our nervous system which will otherwise stress our body more. 

Taking slow, deep breaths all the way into your rib cage will tell your nervous system to stay calm. 

4, Don't foam roll your IT Band. That's the band of connective tissue that runs down the outside of your thigh. It's ridiculously painful. Where you want to roll are the muscles that are attached to it at the front of your thigh. 

5. Avoid rolling injuries such as severe muscle sprains, torn ligaments or broken bones. Rather than helping, it will hinder the healing process

We often get the foam roller and hard ball out for Stretch on Fridays at 8.15am on Zoom. Each week we start the class by asking ourselves what we need that day and let that be our guide. 

Want to join us live for a class? Book here to try your first class for free! It's on Zoom so you're in the privacy of your own home - you can even switch off your camera and mic if you like

If you're one of my lovely Gold or Deluxe members, you've got access to recordings in the Virtual Vault too, so you can do the class any time you like. 

It's honestly the best thirty minutes of the week!

* Affiliate link - if you click this link, I will earn the teeniest of teeny tiny commissions from Amazon at no cost to you. Other vendors are, of course, available.