{"id":25830,"date":"2016-10-02T02:15:42","date_gmt":"2016-10-02T06:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=25830"},"modified":"2016-11-25T10:45:52","modified_gmt":"2016-11-25T15:45:52","slug":"common-foam-rolling-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/common-foam-rolling-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Foam Rolling All Wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Are
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These days, foam rollers are everywhere \u2014 the gym, your physical therapist\u2019s office, your living room and even your suitcase. After all, foam rolling<\/a> has emerged as the darling of the fitness world and the cure-all for many different aches.<\/p>\n

Essentially, foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release<\/a>, or self-massage, that gets rid of adhesions in your muscles and connective tissue. These adhesions can \u201ccreate points of weakness or susceptibility in the tissue,\u201d according to Chris Howard, C.S.C.S. and LMT at Cressey Performance. \u201cIf the muscle isn\u2019t contracting uniformly from end-to-end, it could lead to injury and pain.\u201d Foam rolling also increases blood flow to your muscles and creates better mobility, helping with recovery and improving performance.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15 Stretches You Should Do Every Damn Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Foam Rolling Dos and Don’ts<\/h2>\n

Sounds great, right? Yes, foam rolling offers tremendous potential to relieve pain and help you move better \u2014 if<\/i> used the right way. If not, you risk irritating, and possibly injuring, your body further.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a breakdown of five common mistakes people often make when using the foam roller<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mistake #1: You roll directly where you feel pain.<\/h3>\n

When we feel pain, our first inclination is to massage that spot directly. However, this might be a big mistake. \u201cAreas of pain are the victims that result from tension imbalances in other areas of the body,\u201d says Sue Hitzmann, MS, CST, NMT, manual therapist, creator, and author of The MELT Method.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you iron out areas of inflammation, you can increase inflammation.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s take the IT band, for example. Foam rolling is a commonly prescribed remedy for iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). While religiously rolling out your IT band might feel good, \u201cthe idea that you are going to relax or release the IT band is a misconception,\u201d Hitzmann says. The phrase roll out your IT band<\/i> itself makes it sound like you are rolling out a piece of dough, but your IT band is anything but pliable. It\u2019s a remarkably strong piece of connective tissue, and research has shown<\/a> that it cannot be released or manipulated by manual techniques such as foam rolling. \u201cIf you iron out areas of inflammation, you can increase inflammation. And if you are in pain, your body will be too stressed to repair itself,\u201d says Hitzmann.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Foam Rolling Moves You Aren’t Doing (But Should)<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fix:<\/b> Go indirect before direct. \u201cIf you find a spot that\u2019s sensitive, it\u2019s a cue to ease away from that area by a few inches. Take time and work a more localized region around areas that feel sore<\/a> before using larger, sweeping motions,\u201d suggests Hitzmann. For the IT band, work on the primary muscles that attach to the IT band first \u2014 specifically the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle in the buttocks) and the tensor fasciae latae (a muscle that runs along the outer edge of the hip).<\/p>\n

\"Foam
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mistake #2: You roll too fast.<\/h3>\n

While it might feel great to roll back<\/a> and forth on a foam roller quickly, you\u2019re not actually eliminating any adhesions that way. \u201cYou need to give your brain enough time to tell your muscles to relax,\u201d says Monica Vazquez, NASM certified personal trainer and USA Track and Field Running Coach.<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/b>\u00a0Go slower so that the superficial layers and muscles have time to adapt and manage the compression. Feel where the tender spots are with the roller, and use short, slow rolls over that spot. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to beat up the whole muscle if there are only a few sensitive areas,\u201d Howard says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 New Recovery Tools You’ll Love to Hate<\/a><\/p>\n

Mistake #3: You spend too much time on those knots.<\/h3>\n

We\u2019re often told that if you feel a knot, spend time working that spot with the foam roller. However, some people will spend five to 10 minutes or more on the same area and attempt to place their entire body weight onto the foam roller. If you place sustained pressure on one body part, you might actually hit a nerve or damage the tissue, which can cause bruising, according to Vazquez.<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/b>\u00a0\u201cSpend 20 seconds on each tender spot then move on,\u201d Vazquez recommends. You can also manage how much body weight you use. For example, when working your IT band, plant the foot of your leg on the floor to take some of the weight off the roller.<\/p>\n

\"Foam
Photo by Alex Orlov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mistake #4: You have bad posture.<\/h3>\n

Wait, what does your posture have to do with foam rolling? A lot. \u201cYou have to hold your body in certain positions over the roller,\u201d says Howard, and that requires a lot of strength. \u201cWhen rolling out the IT band, you are supporting your upper body weight with one arm.\u201d When you roll out the quads, you are essentially holding a plank position. If you don\u2019t pay attention to your form or posture, you may exacerbate pre-existing postural deviations and cause more harm.<\/p>\n

The fix:\u00a0<\/b>Work with an experienced personal trainer, physical therapist or coach who can show you proper form and technique. Or, consider setting up your smartphone to videotape yourself while foam rolling, suggests Howard. That way, you can see what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong, like sagging in the hips<\/a> or contorting the spine.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>3 Common Plank Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)<\/a><\/p>\n

Mistake #5: You use the foam roller on your lower back.<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe thing that makes me cringe is when people foam roll their lower back<\/a>. You should never ever do that,\u201d say Vazquez. Hitzmann agrees. \u201cYour spine will freak out and all the spinal muscles will contract and protect the spine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/b>\u00a0According to Vazquez, you can use the foam roller on your upper back because the shoulder blades and muscles protect the spine. \u201cOnce you hit the end of the rib cage, stop.\u201d If you want to release your lower back, try child’s pose or foam roll the muscles that connect to your lower back \u2014 the piriformis<\/a> (a muscle located deep within the glutes), hip flexors and rectus femoris (one of the main muscles in your quads).<\/p>\n

Most importantly, understand what the origin of your pain is before you start. Know what you are trying to achieve through foam rolling and how to do it properly. And don\u2019t forget to stick with it. \u201cTo get the benefits of self-massage, it\u2019s repeated exposure that\u2019s most important,\u201d says Howard. \u201cYou have to show up and put in the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published March 2014. Updated October 2, 2016.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a right and a wrong way to foam roll. Get tips on how to start foam rolling like a pro \u2014 along with common mistakes to avoid. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":52960,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,14],"tags":[289,50,144,66,82,145,341,343,143],"class_list":["post-25830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-foam-rolling","tag-injury","tag-massage","tag-recovery","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-warm-up"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}