Avoid These 7 Common Foam-Rolling Mistakes
You wouldn't trade those hours on the bike for anything, but sometimes, being hunched over the handlebars for miles on end leads to tight, achy muscles. The good news: You don’t have to shell out for weekly cycling-specific massages to fix the kinks.
You wouldn’t trade those hours on the bike for anything, but sometimes, being hunched over the handlebars for miles on end leads to tight, achy muscles. The good news: You don’t have to shell out for weekly cycling-specific massages to fix the kinks. – By Laurel Leicht
Foam rolling, a form of self-massage that breaks up knots in muscles and surrounding connective tissue (called fascia), “is great for recovery and has the ability, when coupled with the right exercises, to improve your posture and functional performance,” says David Reavy, a physical therapist and founder of React Physical Therapy in Chicago, Illinois. All that’s required is a high-density foam cylinder, and a bit of time spent working your muscles over it.
The process seems simple enough, but it’s easy to use improper technique when starting out—which leads to ineffective recovery, and possibly injury. Below, we explore the most common foam rolling mistakes, plus expert tips for how to fix them.
Why It’s Bad: Placing a foam roller beneath your lumbar spine (aka lower back) or neck can cause strain and hyperextension, says Justin Russ, CSCS, a strength and conditioning coach and TriggerPoint master trainer in Florida. “Doing this can produce more stress on the spine by taking it out of neutral posture,” he says. “Whenever you’re rolling, it’s important to stay stable through the core and maintain spinal integrity.”
What to Do Instead: If you have discomfort in your lumbar spine, work on releasing knots in your hip flexors, quads, and upper back instead, Russ suggests, as tightness in these areas often leads to aches in your lower back.Pain in your neck? That’s often caused by tightness in your trapezius (the muscle in the center of your upper back and shoulders), which is a much safer muscle to massage.
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