Like many people who worked from home during the pandemic, Veronika Javor, 39, traded a supportive desk chair in her office for a plush armchair in her living room. It was comfortable at first, but the new seat quickly took its toll as Ms. Javor, a content maker in Houston, developed a sharp, radiating pain in her left buttock. She tried to ignore it, but after a particularly hard glute-focused Pilates workout, the discomfort became unbearable.
“I woke up every morning in pain and it ended up hurting so much that I was afraid to exercise,” said Ms. Javor.
Her physical therapist said the problem was the tightness in her glutes and suggested she roll her leg over a foam cylinder three times a day to release the tension. After a month of the advancing plan, she started to hurt less and can move more.
Muscle tension, whether it’s the result of sitting all day or a hard workout, can make it difficult to move the way you want. An hour on the massage table can relieve pain and improve performance, but some experts say it can similar benefits of a foam roller at home. Research to support the practice is still in progress, and some scientists are skeptical about it, but there are a few things you should know if you’re going to try it.
The case for foam rollers
Every muscle in your body is held in place by layers of connective tissue called fascia. According to Cedric X. Bryant, president and chief science officer at the American Council on ExerciseBoth exertion and inactivity can cause this tissue to become stiff or dense, causing tension in a muscle or tension in a more localized area — called a trigger point or knot — and limiting flexibility and range of motion.
When stiff or misaligned fascia prevent muscles and joints from moving effectively, exercise can be uncomfortable and risky. “If you can’t move your shoulder because your joints or muscles are tight, you usually get an injury if you try to strengthen it,” says Theresa Marko, a physical therapist in New York City and an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University. .
In theory, rolling a muscle over a stiff, cylindrical piece of foam does something akin to massage. “Like massage, foam rolling uses friction to release tension and realign the fascia,” said Dr. Bryant.
a recent systematic review of 49 studies concluded that foam rolling for 90 seconds to two minutes at a time often reduced muscle stiffness and increased range of motion, or the ability of joints to move. Other small studies have found that foam rolling can also improve flexibility, or the ability of soft tissues to stretch, at least in the short term. Long term studies have found that rolling the hamstrings three times a week for four weeks also improved flexibility.
Adding a foam roller to your cool-down might be possible also prevent or reduce post-exercise pain by promoting blood flow. A 2014 study suggested foam rolling after strength training reduced muscle soreness while improving exercise performance as measured by vertical jump height and range of motion.
Maillard Howell, a Brooklyn personal trainer and head of fitness at Reebok, said the majority of his clients breathe a sigh of relief when they foam. “If you feel better lying on a foam roller before or after a workout, I see no reason not to use it, as long as it’s done correctly and doesn’t make your problem worse,” Mr Howell said.
The case against foam rollers
However, not everyone is sold on foam rollers. dr. Elizabeth Gardner, an associate professor of orthopedics at Yale School of Medicine, said the people she treats are often too confident in them.
“Oh foam rollers – how my athletes love you!” she wrote in an email. “But unfortunately their obsession with foam rollers is scientifically unfounded.”
She said most studies supporting foam rollers are small and they often use different methods from each other, making it hard to say why they work.
dr. Bryant admitted that there aren’t enough large, well-designed studies to confirm the practice’s effectiveness. A Meta-analysis 2015 of the 14 articles concluded that while foam rolling appears to improve movement and reduce muscle soreness, there is no agreed-upon way to do it.
Judy Gelber, a physical therapist based in Omaha, said the time people spend on foam rolling “could be better spent addressing why their bodies feel like it needs foam rolling.” For example, she suggested warming up with a full range of motion (i.e. up, down, sideways, and more) or strengthening muscles at the end of your range (exercising when muscles are longest or shortest).
Foam rollers can also cause injuries in some people. For example, people with arthritis can damage their joints and rolling on an injury, whether it’s a broken bone or a torn muscle, can make it worse. People with mobility issues or anyone who can’t control their body weight on the floor should also exercise caution or ask a physical therapist for a safer alternative.
To work
If you decide to try foam rolling, Dr. Michael Fredericson, professor of sports medicine at Stanford School of Medicine, favors a stiff roller. You can also find some with textured ridges and knobs, of which Dr. Bryant said it can relieve deeper muscle tension.
Jean-Michel Brismée, a physical therapist and director of the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine, recommends starting with lighter pressure and not putting too much of your body weight on the roller. A minute or two is generally sufficient, but you can start with less.
Here are five foam rolling exercises you can try at home before or after a workout. If you are not sure if foam rolling is safe for you, talk to your physical therapist or doctor.
glute roll
Sitting for a long time can tighten your glutes, as can exercises such as deadlifts, squats, and lunges. Place a foam roller on the floor and place it horizontally. With your knees bent or extended (or one leg bent and one straight), press your feet into the floor and roll back and forth on the buttocks until you find tender spots. Lean to one side as you roll to avoid hitting your tailbone. If that feels too intense, try lying in your bed in the same position and sliding a tennis ball under the trigger point.
shoulder blade roll
Dumbbell presses, pushups, and rowing can lead to tension around the shoulder blades. To relieve tension, lie on the floor with the foam roller perpendicular to your spine and roll on the muscles around your shoulder blades. It can feel good to hug yourself or open your arms in the process.
Your hamstrings, which start at your hip and connect at the knee, can get tight after a leg workout. Lying on your back, lift one leg at a time as high as you can, with a towel wrapped around your foot to create resistance. Pull on the towel to stretch your hamstrings before rolling.
Then, in a sitting position with your legs straight, place the roller under the back of your thighs. Roll back and forth all the way up and down through your hamstrings. If you notice smaller areas of tightness, linger there. After that, you should be able to stretch deeper.
Center back foam roller
Rolling up your mid-back can bring relief after working at a computer or doing upper-body workouts like push-ups or pull-ups. Place the roller under your back, parallel to your spine, then gently roll back and forth on the muscles around your spine. Roll each side of the spine separately and avoid rolling the bones themselves. Keep in mind that rolling can cause acute injuries or chronic back conditions if you have them.
Sitting hunched over a desk for too long can strain the muscles that hold up your head, resulting in a headache. dr. Marko said using a foam roller as a mobility aid can lengthen your cervical spine and promote relaxation and flexibility of the surrounding muscles, and gently pressing the foam roller can relieve trigger points.
Lie on the floor with the foam roller behind your neck, parallel to the base of your skull. Keep your knees bent with your buttocks and feet on the floor and slowly turn your head left and right. You can also keep your head still and rock your knees gently from side to side, giving you a grip on your lower body. Avoid this exercise if you have pre-existing neck pain or nerve problems, as you can press on the nerves and make the problem worse.
Ashley Abramson is a freelance writer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.