Foam Rolling

Rolling with a foam roller or a spikey ball has become part and parcel of many gyms and physio clinics and you maybe have one lurking around at home too. There tends to be a few trains of thoughts of foam rolling; love it, hate it and love to hate it.

In theory foam rolling helps to release tight muscles and mobilise the fascia, layers of connective tissue encapsulating the muscles. However scientific research is still a little bit inconclusive as to how, and how well, it exactly work works. Research papers tend to mention 'maybe' or potentially' a lot and discuss whether foam rolling works by mechanical actions or neurophysiological effects.

Either way, users of foam rollers and spikey balls can gain plenty of benefits. These include release of tension and tight spots, reduced DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), increased blood supply to muscles to help with recovery and just generally a feeling of muscle relaxation. To get the most out of your foam roller or spikey ball there are a few 'dos and don'ts'.

~ DO take your time

~ DON'T roll over joints

~ DO ease into it and gradually increase the pressure applied

~ DON'T roll over bony bits

~ DO roll even when you've been more sedentary than active

~ DO roll when you are sore from DOMS, etc.

~ DON'T roll to the point of excessive pain (rather than the useful discomfort you will likely experience)

Foot

Are you after the ball by any chance Elfyn?

Demands on the sole of the foot are pretty high as it makes contacts with the ground on every step we take. So it's not too surprising that the fascia (connective tissue) on the sole of your foot has to lot answer for when it comes to tension in soft tissues all the way up the leg. The sole of the foot has a whole lot of nerve endings so you don't need a lot of pressure for this to be effective.

With the ball (spikey, tennis, hockey, whatever you can get) on the floor, roll the balls back and forward with the the sole of your foot. Be sure to work on the whole area including the outer border, the inside arch and over your heel.

The foot doesn't just work forward to back but also from side to side. Again not a whole lot of pressure needed here.

With the ball on the floor, place the ball of your foot on to the ball. Making sure to keep your heel on the ground, rock your foot from side to side over the ball working around the ball of your foot. Make sure you get right across from one side the other to include both borders of the foot. Work right up to your toes too. Continue for about one minute before repeating on the other foot.

Calf

Sit on the floor with legs outstretched in front and with your hands on the floor behind for support. Position the roller width ways beneath one calf closer to your ankle. You can keep the other foot on the floor for support or you can place it on top of the rolling leg for extra effort.

Prop yourself up to lift your bum off the floor. Slowly push yourself forward to roll over the roller until it gets to the top of your calf, but be sure to avoid applying pressure at the back of your knee. Move slowly, it might not be the most comfortable but it'll be working. Slowly work your way back along the length of the calf. Repeat this rolling sequence back and forth several times.

There are a few muscles making up your calf area so be sure to target different areas. Turn your toes outwards, and inwards, and roll back and forth as before. Repeat this several times too.

If you find a point that is nippy or particularly tense, then hold the roller there for about thirty seconds before slowly moving further.

Here is a slightly different set up to target more of the soleus muscle on the lower calf.

Kneel on the knees and place the foam roller between your calfs and your bottom. Sit gently back on to the roller. Gently shift your hips from side to side which will move the foam roller over the muscle. Move the roller to different points on your calf and Achilles tendon and repeat the side to side motion. As with other rolling actions, if you find a particularly tight spot hold the pressure there for about thirty seconds.

Hamstrings

Sit on the floor with legs outstretched in front and with your hands on the floor behind for support. Position the roller width ways beneath one hamstring closer to your knee, but make sure it's not in the space behind your knee. You can keep the other foot on the floor for support or you can place it on top of the rolling leg for extra effort.

Prop yourself up to lift your bum off the floor. Slowly push yourself forward to roll over the roller until it gets to about your sit bones. Move slowly, it might not be the most comfortable but it'll be working. Slowly work your way back along the length of the hamstring. Repeat this rolling sequence back and forth several times.

There are three muscles within the hamstring group so make you hit all three. Turn your toes outwards, and inwards, and roll back and forth as before. Repeat this several times too.

If you find a point that is nippy or particularly tense, then hold the roller there for about thirty seconds before slowly moving futher.

Quads

Rolling your quads is not going to the be most comfortable thing, but it'll be worth it.

Lie on your front with the roller positioned just above your knee, Make sure it's on the soft tissue and not any bony bits. The other leg is out to the side with the knee bent. Rest down on to your elbows or with your hands on the floor. Very gently ease on to roller and start to move over the roller so that it moves from above your knee to the top of your thigh just below your hip, again still on soft tissue and not bony bits. Slowly roll back and forth several times.

There are four quads within the quadriceps group so to target the more lateral and medial muscles, turn your body slightly so that the roller is working along the outside and inside of the thigh.

If you find a point that is nippy or particularly tense, then hold the roller there for about thirty seconds before slowly moving further.

Glutes

Place the foam roller on the floor, roller side down. Sit on to the roller with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent and your hands should be on the floor behind for support. Try to shift yourself so that it's mostly one side of your bum that is mostly on the roller. Whichever side is on the roller, cross that ankle across the other knee. Gently roll back and forth across all of your glute muscles. There are a few muscles making up your glute so make sure you shift about on the roller so that you target them all. Remember to avoid rolling over bony bits, for example your sacrum, cocyx, hip joint.

If you find a point that is nippy or particularly tense, then hold the roller there for about thirty seconds before slowly moving further.

Pecs

If you've spent too long tapping away on a computer keyboard or scrolling on your phone, then the muscles across your chest can become tight. This might appear to be a little awkward to get at with a spikey ball but it really isn't and it is pretty effective at releasing some of the that tension.

Stand facing close to a wall. With a ball (spikey, tennis, hockey, etc.) just below your collarbone, gentle lean on to the ball. Rolling over the ball from side to side working between your sternum (chest bone) and your shoulder. If you find any particularly tight spots then hold here for a few seconds. Continue rolling on one side for about thirty seconds before repeating on the opposite side.