This is a question we get a lot at Bodybyrne from clients probably due to the fact we are big advocates of foam rolling pre exercise and stretching post exercise, but foam rolling and stretching is not just for around exercise.
Take these two scenarios one is the client working in the office sitting at the computer desk all day everyday, after a while complains about lower back pain or neck pain leaves it till they can’t stand the pain anymore and then has to pay for some visits to the physio or chiro etc to align whatever is out of place, another scenario is the client who is quite active always on there feet maybe moving equipment constantly throughout the day again starts to complain of pain maybe it’s hips and knees in this case but doesn’t know why and has to follow the same procedure as our office worker.
What if there was a way to alleviate those niggling aches and pains?
Through foam rolling and stretching I believe we can, from someone who spends up to 12 hours a day on there feet it has kept everything right for me and all that’s needed is 10 minutes a day.
Here are some of the main benefits of foam rolling and stretching
- Helps prevent common injuries. One of the most important reasons for a regular foam-rolling routine is to prevent those often too common exercise-related injuries as we have spoken about, Many runners, for example, become painfully well acquainted with their IT band if they don’t take care to massage the band of tissue. IT band syndrome and other similar flare-ups can be caused by too-tight muscles. Foam rolling every day ensures you are massaging away fascia buildup in your muscles, in order to help prevent those areas from becoming injury trigger points.
- Helps you de-stress. Had a hard day? Foam rolling is a great way to chill out and prepare you for bed. Digging for those knots releases tension that is built up in the connective tissue to keep you less stressed.
- Keeps you flexible. Building up your flexibility is key for any fitness routine, which means you constantly should be stretching and doing exercises that’ll help you gain flexibility. Stretches that focus on lengthening hip flexors combat tightness from sitting as well as lower back pain.
- Increased Range of Motion
Stretching has been shown to effectively increase range of motion in joints. Better range of motion enables you to keep better balance. Better balance means you are less susceptible to falls and the resulting injuries (of particular importance as you age). Increased range of motion also helps to keep you up and moving.
Stretching has numerous benefits outside of preventing injury. You can live a more comfortable daily life, increase your flexibility and alleviate stress and pain just by doing a few stretches before, after or separate from your workout.
These are just a few of the common benefits associated with stretching and foam rolling, I advise starting with an all over body plan which consists of 5 minutes rolling followed by 5 minutes stretching and the benefits will be instantly recognisable.
Key areas to target with Foam Rolling
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