I'm a Foam Roller

I want to sing that title to the tune of "I'm a Wheel watcher"... silly me.  It's the end of a long week and I am trying to get back into the groove of normal after vacation.

Once upon a time, I trained to run a half marathon… and along the way I read some interesting advice about using a foam roller to help my leg and hip muscles recover after the longer runs during the training.

There were so many different kinds of rollers available, and I was quite confused about the whole issue, but did want to try it out, so I polled some of my running blogger friends and got lots of different responses.  I even wrote about them at the time. (Check it out, there is some good advice here.)  I found a great web site about Self-Myofascial Release and read it thoroughly.

And after all of that I chose to try some of the techniques on my legs and hips with a good old-fashioned rolling pin!  It was quite effective, I have to admit.

After my half marathon was over and I cut way back on the amount of running I am doing, I basically forgot all about rolling…  until I saw a contest on Facebook, by Suzanne Digre of Workout Nirvana, who was giving away a Rumble Roller. I jumped at the chance to have it… and was lucky enough to win it and have Suzanne send it to me.

Well, I have to admit I was very VERY intimidated by this baby when I first opened the package!  I immediately nick-named it The Beast.

you can see how large it is, even compared to my running shoes

But I have had so much trouble with leg cramps after running, that I was willing to do whatever it might take to prevent them.  I have special supplements that I think help, and I make sure to stay well-hydrated, and I stretch an enormous amount, and yes, I foam roll with The Beast!

In all honesty, it took me some time before I was brave enough to try it out.  I put 2 of my yoga mats side by side on the floor and practise my rolling while laying on top of them… and I do mean practise. I may never get the various techniques down just right.

I don’t enjoy it.  I think I look ridiculous doing it. I know I FEEL ridiculous doing it.  But I am sure it helps and I am so thankful every time I finish up a rolling session that Suzanne graced my life with The Beast.

This graphic shows the exercises I do with the Rumble Roller… and I was given permission to use it on my own blog… it is from an article you can find on FIX called Stepping Up the Pace: 19 Ways To Shave Down Your Race Time  - have a look!  They suggest that foam rolling is a way to increase your running pace.

I also roll my calves.  They love me for it.

If you are working your muscles hard… whether it be running, or strength training, or cross fit, or even if you just like massage… I urge you to get yourself one of the many tools available and get rolling! 

One of the blog posts I read this week was about all the different kinds of rolling weapons tools that are available:

• The Secret to Help You Recover Faster From Your Workouts at The Get in Shape Girl
  • many of the tools that Kyra recommends are actually different sizes of balls – a really good read and very helpful

Here are some others you shouldn’t miss:

• Popular Fitness Myths Debunked at Your Trainer Paige
  • heard any of these?
• Bringing the ‘Sexy’ into Posture Training at Go Fit Gals
  • I don’t know about ‘sexy’ but there are some great exercises to help improve your posture
• Stepping Up The Pace: 19 Ways To Shave Down Your Race Time at FIX
  • you runners will want to read this for sure
• Savvy Women Lifters: Get Fierce About Building Muscle  at Workout Nirvana
  
  • there is a great bodyweight workout in this post
• DIVINE Fudgsicles at Gigi Eats Celbrities
• I really wanna make these!

Well, are you a ‘roller’?  What’s your weapon of choice?