I LOVE my foam roller. I even miss it when I travel. Actually I miss it so much that I’ve even been tempted to try to pack it in my suitcase!

I can't believe someone else made this picture!!!!

A little weird? Probably…but I don’t care! I LOVE MY FOAM ROLLER!

Why am I obsessed? Because my body feels better when I foam roll every day, which means I get more out of my workout!

However, not everyone loves the foam roller…actually I’ve found that most of my clients hate it. And I can’t blame them. Foam rolling or, self-myofascial release, can be painful especially if you are super tight.

It is essentially a deep tissue massage, which releases tension in your muscles through autogenic inhibition and improves your flexibility, function, performance all while reducing your risk of injury!

Sounds great right!?! Yes!!!

Just so you don’t get scared away by how painful it may be the first time you do it…remember these WONDERFUL benefits of foam rolling!!!

• Reduce muscle soreness
• Correct muscle imbalances
• Increase joint range of motion
• Relieve joint stress
• Maintain normal functional muscular length

When you foam roll, make sure you do your back, butt (specifically your piriformis), hamstrings, quads, adductors and IT bands. I’ve found that the IT bands are the most painful for most of my clients. To lessen the pressure when you roll your IT bands, don’t stack your feet but instead place the foot of your top leg in front of you. To add more pressure, stack your feet!

Here is a link with some good descriptions and diagrams to help you get started foam rolling!!!