The what & the why…
Self-myofascial release is the fancy term for foam rolling. It’s done in order to release muscle tightness or trigger points, helping your muscles to recover and regain elasticity after a tough training session or race.
Trigger points are areas where we feel referred pain. An example of this is when rolling out your ITB you may feel a shooting pain all the way up into your hip.
Pain referral occurs when pressure is applied to one area of the body but pain is felt or radiated in another area.
When rolling out tight or sore muscles you may feel some discomfort or pain but it shouldn’t be excruciating. Rolling techniques should make you feel better after, not worse.
Why do something that hurts?
Foam rolling is a controlled technique of releasing pressure in muscles and aids in recovery. Stretching on it’s own isn’t always enough to release muscles tightness and should be done in combination with foam rolling. This will return elasticity to muscles and ultimately aid in performance.