Time for rolling!

20 December 2019

If you play sports that require frequent workouts that burden your body, for example football, you should ensure proper regeneration.

One of the recommended regenerative techniques is foam rolling. It was created in the 1980s, and its name comes from the equipment - a roller, which in practice replaces the hands of a physiotherapist or masseur. Currently, it is used to self-massage large muscle groups.

There are many models of rollers on the market - e.g. with insets for stimulating massage, or octagon-shape ball used for paravertebral muscle massage. They are made of hard plastic foam. Their shape, size and hardness should be selected individually.

Roller hardness should depend on the degree of muscle tension. The more relaxed the muscles, the harder the roller should be – explains Mateusz Jenda, trainer and physiotherapist at the Carolina Medical Center.

Foam Rolling can be used both before and after training. Rolling time for each muscle group should last for about two minutes, with a 30-seconds break after each first minute.

Self-massage relaxes the muscles and surrounding fascia. This is very important, because properly hydrated and elasticised fascia effectively removes toxins from the body and thus accelerates regeneration. The benefit of foam rolling is also a reduction in arterial stiffness. To sum up, this method, due to proper oxygenation of muscles, allows to improve the general technique of doing sports – concludes Mateusz Jenda.

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