Spinal Care: Foam Rolling Mistakes
By Sara Butler
The chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic are on board with foam rolling. After all, it's a great way to take your fitness game up a notch and prevent potential injuries. Chiropractors consider foam rolling to be an important step toward taking better care of your spine and your body. But while it's important, it's also something that can injure you if you're making mistakes. Here are some of the most common foam rolling mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Why It's Important
Foam rolling is good for you because it's a form of myofascial release. According to the American Chiropractic Association, myofascial release means that you gently apply force to a tender spot or knot in your muscles to help release it. This has a lot of benefits for your body and helps support your chiropractor's work to help find and treat joint dysfunction and restriction. Foam rolling is a great compliment to chiropractic care -- if you know how to do it right!
Mistake No. 1: You Roll Too Much
Foam rolling feels good, which may mean you love to grab your foam roller and go to town. But it's important to remember that foam rolling is more about the release of the muscle and less about the rolling. Instead of going fast and covering lots of ground, slow down and release one spot at a time.
Mistake No. 2: Not Allowing Release
The release of muscle tension, knots, and tender spots helps to keep you from developing joint restrictions and dysfunctions, but one common mistake is not allowing the release to happen as you roll. Rolling back and forth feels good, but it's important to hold the roller in place when you find a spot that is tender or knotted. Hold the foam roller there for at least 30 seconds to allow the release.
Mistake No. 3: You're Tense
If you want your foam rolling endeavors to pay off, then you must stay relaxed! Sometimes when you hit a tender spot you may feel the need to tense up but try to stay relaxed so the foam roll can do its job. If you can keep your muscles relaxed, then you can work the kinks and knots out more easily and efficiently.
If you have questions about how to foam roll to better support your health, talk to the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Aurora, Colo.