When we’re younger, we can work out intensely, we can jump from great heights, bash our bodies around, and wake up in the morning with barely a sore or stiff muscle. It's not like we have the slightest worry about when or why foam roller benefits would come in handy.
As time goes by, though, and we find ourselves growing older, we find that we need to be a little more cautious and careful with our bodies and their recovery.
This is where foam roller benefits really enter the fray.
As we grow older, it becomes more apparent that we need to be more careful when it comes to exercise and recovery, and in truth, we need to look after our bodies a little bit better.
Foam rolling is ideal as it can help you to do precisely that. That is why I've been holding on to my over-manly pink foam roller for the past five years.
Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release, and it is a simple yet revolutionary technique that has taken the fitness industry by storm.
Here’s a look at several amazing benefits.
16 Awesome Foam Roller Benefits
1. Foam Rollers Are So Basic And Easy To Use
Nowadays, there’s a whole variety of different tools, machines such as arc trainers and stair climbers, and pieces of equipment that are designed to provide a whole host of benefits.
As awesome as these gadgets are, sometimes it’s best to keep things simple, which is why I love a good old foam roller.
It is basically a small metal tube coated in a layer of foam, either smooth or rigid, and it is designed to be rolled upon.
Seriously, it’s that simple.
With foam rollers, there’s nothing breakable, there’s no battery to charge, and there are no electrics to go wrong.
It’s just a rigid or smooth tube of foam.
2. Foam Rolling Can Relieve Pain And Discomfort
Another great reason to consider taking up foam rolling is the fact that foam rolling can help to relieve pain and discomfort. When we work out, we
Whether you’ve tweaked a muscle or if you’re suffering from painful muscle fascia and scar tissue, foam rolling can help relieve any pain and discomfort you may be experiencing.
When our muscles feel sore, tight, and stiff, this could be due to myofascial clumping together and forming knots. This may also be due to scar tissue and muscle knots.
Self-myofascial release basically helps to break up these muscle knots and this scar tissue, helping to free up the muscles and increase the range of motion and relieve pain and discomfort.
3. Foam Rolling Improve Flexibility
If you’re looking for yet more reasons to consider taking up foam rolling, how about the fact that foam rolling is great for improving flexibility?
Foam rolling helps to ease muscle fascia, which may be trapping the muscles and joints and preventing them from working correctly.
It also helps to increase muscle fibre elasticity, which in turn means that the muscles can stretch further.
If you’re looking to boost your flexibility, foam rolling is ideal.
4. Different Exercises To Choose From
When talking about benefits, we can’t talk about how great foam rollers are without talking about how much variety there is in terms of exercises.
Whether you want to foam roll your back, your neck, your knees, your shoulders, your arms, your legs, or anywhere else, there are a whole host of different rolling exercises and techniques for you to choose from, with each one just as great as the last.
5. Foam Rolling Can Be Done Quickly
We understand that time is a precious commodity that few can seem to afford in this day and age, which is why foam rolling is so useful.
If you are short on time and feel as if you don’t have the time to stretch and warm up and cool down before and after a workout (even though you ALWAYS should) you might want to think again.
Foam rolling is a great way to warm up, stretch, and do what needs to be done in a relatively short period of time.
Typically, a good overall foam rolling session will last around 5 – 10 minutes at the most, which, let’s face it, is no time at all these days.
6. Foam Rollers Are Affordable
Nowadays, if you want to purchase good quality gym equipment, you need to be willing to part with a great deal of money.
The gym kit doesn’t come cheap unless, of course, you’re talking about foam rollers or resistance bands that also have great benefits.
Foam rollers are very affordable because they’re so basically designed, which means that everybody can own one. You can order a foam roller online from $5.99, but they can cost up to $200 depending on the quality.
As there are no electronics, no batteries, and no fancy add-ons, apps, or attachments to go with them, foam rollers are ideal for people on a budget.
7. Foam Rolling Is A Great Way To Warm Up Before Working Out
If you don’t foam roll before working out, you’re missing out, almost literally.
One of the main benefits that we’re going to be looking at today is the fact that foam rolling is a great way to warm up before you exercise.
Foam rolling will help boost circulation, increase core body temp, and relieve sore, tense, stiff, and tired muscles, which ordinarily would have been giving you a lot of problems when training.
Not only that, but it will also increase muscle elasticity, so athletic performance will improve, and you’ll experience more flexibility.
8. Foam Rolling Reduces The Risk Of Injury
Before exercising, experts always stress the importance of stretching and warming up, but precisely why is that?
Well, when we exercise, if we exercise cool, for example, doing kettlebell swings, muscles are stiff, our circulation is slow, and our muscles are more susceptible to rips and tears.
Foam rolling is very beneficial for people looking to reduce their risk of injury as it helps to increase muscle elasticity, which in turn makes the muscle fibers more flexible.
Think of these fibres like a piece of string.
Would a piece of string that is being pulled tightly without much giving in be more likely to rip, or would a loose and stretchy piece of string with plenty of giving in be more likely to rip?
The tight string would be more likely, of course, and the same principle can be applied to your muscle fibers.
9. Foam Rolling Can Be Done Anywhere
One of the major drawbacks of not having access to a gym is not having access to beneficial gym equipment.
Thankfully, if you own a foam roller, you needn’t worry about a lack of access to a gym, as you can do foam rolling anywhere.
One of the most prominent benefits that we’re going to look at today is the fact that foam rolling can be done anywhere.
Foam rollers are light, fairly small, and portable, so you can use them at home, in the garden, in the gym, at work, in the park, or anywhere else you can think of.
10. Foam Rollers Are Reliable
The thing about technology is the fact that it’s only great when it’s working.
When it isn’t, it’s a total nightmare.
The fitness world is packed full of expensive apps, fitness trackers, machines, tools, and accessories, which are all well and good until the tech lets you down.
How annoying is it when you’re trying to sync your fitness tracker to your phone or if you find that the battery on your tracker has died because you forgot to put it on charge?
With foam rollers, you needn’t worry about things like this because foam rollers are reliable; there’s nothing to go wrong with them.
The rollers are sturdy, durable, easy to use, and built to last.
11. Foam Rollers Can Improve Athletic Performance
Whether you’re training to perform better in the gym, the swimming pool, the athletics track, the football field, or anywhere else, another of the amazing benefits is the fact that foam rolling can improve athletic performance.
Foam rolling is ideal for athletic performance because it helps increase mobility and flexibility, plus it helps to boost circulation which we will dip into soon.
This is important because the better your circulation, the more oxygenated blood will be pumped around your body, meaning more oxygen can be delivered to your cells, resulting in more energy.
12. Foam Rolling Improves Circulation
On the subject of circulation, another of the important benefits we need to look at today is the fact that foam rolling has been found to improve circulation.
Foam rolling helps to increase your heart rate, promotes dilation of the blood vessels, and increases the amount of blood circulating around your body.
Poor circulation can not only hinder energy levels and athletic performance, but it can also potentially lead to more serious health issues and ailments.
13. Foam Rolling Can Increase Core Stability
Another of the amazing benefits which we’ll be looking at today is the fact that foam rolling is great for increasing core stability.
Foam rolling helps to strengthen your core stabilizer muscles, as well as your back muscles, making it a great movement for a stronger, harder, more durable core.
14. Foam Rolling Helps To Prevent Lactic Acid Build Ups
Another great benefit associated with foam rolling is the fact that the techniques associated with foam rolling can help prevent the build-up of lactic acid.
Lactic acid is a by-product of aerobic exercise, and when it is produced, it can lead to muscle cramps and soreness.
Foam rolling not only prevents lactic acid from building up but can also speed up the rate at which the body breaks down lactic acid post-workout, which in turn makes foam rolling ideal for post-workout recovery.
15. Foam rolling May Help To Reduce Cellulite
Cellulite, which is prominent in both men and women, is a condition caused by dimples in the skin, and it is something that most people wish to avoid.
Experts have found that foam rolling can help stretch connective tissue and thereby help prevent cellulite.
If you want to avoid cellulite in problem areas, be sure to foam roll the legs, thighs, and glutes regularly.
Final Thoughts:
And with that, we’ll bring this look at the many foam roller benefits out there that can be enjoyed to a close.
Remember, foam rollers are not expensive. They’re easy to use, they’re built to last, and they can be used anywhere.
In fact, in all honesty, there’s really no reason for you not to be using one, so grab one today!
