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Foam Rolling Mistakes You Need to Avoid

By Sara Butler

Foam rolling is a great way to aid your recovery after a workout -- a lot of runners and endurance athletes swear by them. The research behind foam rolling backs up its street cred too, since it has been found to improve range of motion and mobility, two things that can help to reduce your risk for injury. But while foam rolling is a positive thing, there are a few things that are good to know about the process of actually foam rolling. Here are some foam rolling mistakes you need to work to avoid.

Doing Too Much, Too Soon

If rolling out a muscle with your foam roller causes you some serious pain because your muscles are tense and tight, then back off of it. You're not going to do yourself any favors by continuing to press into your foam roller with all your might if you can barely stand it.

Instead, go soft and ease off if it starts to feel painful. When you begin using a foam roller, start slow and use it for only a few minutes. It's important to slowly build up to longer rolling sessions.

Where Are You Rolling?

A lot of people think that they need to target painful spots with the foam roller in order to resolve issues they may be having, but this isn't the right approach. If you hit on the exact spot that is the most tender, you're probably going to simply aggravate whatever problem is lurking below the surface.

What you should really do is think about the areas that surround the painful spot. A great example is hamstrings that are tight. For a lot of people, tight hamstrings can lead to knee pain. So, instead of targeting the areas around your knee, target your hamstrings to help solve the issue.

Slow Down

One of the biggest mistakes people make with foam rolling is trying to hurry through it. But foam rolling too fast won't have the same benefits as a much slower, more methodical roll out. That's why you should make sure you have the time to do it. But if you are in a hurry, then try targeting just one or two spots and roll them out slowly instead of working through your whole routine as fast as you can.

Foam rolling is a great addition to your exercise routine, but only if you do it right. If you need tips, then don't hesitate to 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 Albuquerque, N.M.

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