The Foam Roller and Sore Muscle Recovery

Ever push yourself to the limits in a workout and then realized you’re going to need to do some sore muscle recovery exercises? I know I have! The foam roller is one of the quickest and most effective ways to aid in sore muscle recovery without receiving a professional massage service.

By rolling over concentrated tight areas, the foam roller delivers myofascial release, which basically means it massages to release muscle tension. This is important for sore muscle recovery because the healthy state of your muscles should be elastic, not tight. The roller utilizes body weight to put the right amount of pressure on the tight muscles.

Sore muscle recovery also causes soreness and tightness that is relieved through foam rolling. Blood flow, restoration of healthy tissues and better mobility are a result. Foam rolling breaks down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue that can cause pain in joints and muscles and can bring about the need for sore muscle recovery. I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but it sounds like regular foam rolling could slow down the process of cellulite by encouraging cell regrowth inside the body. Don’t take my word for it, but it just makes sense!

With a foam roller, you don’t have to get regular expensive massages, though one of those are nice every once in awhile. Remember to treat foam rolling like a massage, because that is essentially what it is. Make sure you are well hydrated before and after foam rolling and start off just doing 5-15 minutes per day and then work your way up from there. Please keep in mind, the foam rolling will hurt if your muscles are tight, but it will feel better when you are done - sort of like stretching after a workout.

I recommend investing in the P90X2 RumbleRoller from Beach Body as part of the recovery and mobility workouts from P90X2. If you follow the workouts, you will receive detailed instructions on the best way to use the foam roller and prevent the need for sore muscle recovery.

I also found a guide from Women’s Health magazine explaining a few of the ways to use a foam roller.

Sore muscle recovery can be painful and last for awhile if not properly taken care of. Using a foam roller will aid in the recovery time by providing a massage using the combination of the roller and body weight to bring muscles back to a healthy state. Eliminate sore muscles by using your foam roller today!