Foam rolling is a popular tool for helping reduce muscle trigger points or “knots” as some people know them to be called. More technically, these tight, tender areas may be referred to as myofascial adhesions or soft tissue adhesions. Foam rolling exercises provide an effective means to get rid of these painful spots, though it can also provide many more significant benefits for those who use foam rolling exercises in their daily regimen.
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What is Foam Rolling?
Foam rolling is a form of deep tissue massage (soft tissue mobilization) or myofascial release that is achieved by rolling a part of your body over a foam cylinder (roller). When foam rolling, your body weight is typically used as the primary pressure applied. Athletes commonly use foam rolling exercises to promote optimal mobility, but they can also provide many benefits for non-athletes alike.
Benefits of Foam Rolling
There are several benefits from performing foam rolling exercises, which include:
- Reduce Muscle Soreness
- Improve Blood Circulation
- Improve Muscle Flexibility (Reduce Muscle Tightness and Tension)
- Reduce Joint Stiffness
- Improve Overall Range of Motion
- Help You to Relax
Conditions that Typically Benefit from Foam Rolling
Through my many years of being a physical therapist, I have found that foam rolling can significantly help treat the following conditions (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Hip Bursitis
- IT Band Syndrome
- Snapping Hip Syndrome
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee)
- Calf Muscle Strain
- Posture-Related Pain
- Low Back Pain
Foam Rolling Precautions
While foam rolling exercises are relatively safe for most people to perform, there are still some precautions that should be considered prior to performing this mobilization technique.
Foam rolling precautions include, but are not limited to:
- Osteopenia/Osteoporosis
- Bone Fractures
- Cancer
- Fibromyalgia
- Pregnancy
- Soft Tissue Infections
- Significant Obesity
- Difficulty Getting Up or Down from the Ground
- If you have trouble getting up and down from the floor, you may want to consider a stick roller massager instead!
Lengths of Foam Rollers
Foam rolls come in a variety of lengths.
Most foam rollers come in 12, 18, 24, and 36-inch lengths.
Finding the right foam roller for you depends on how you plan to use it.
Will you use it for foam rolling exercises to relieve low back pain? If so, a mid-size length foam roller, such as one that is 18 or 24 inches long, should suffice.
Will you use it for chest stretching to improve your posture? If so, then you’ll probably want a longer 36-inch foam roller since you’ll be lying down on it and the longer foam rollers will provide enough length to support your head while you’re lying on your back stretching.
Will you need to travel with your foam roller? If so, you would definitely want to find a 12-inch long foam roller or a collapsible foam roller, which would allow you to pack it in your luggage without taking up too much space.
Foam Roller Density/Materials
Foam rollers also come in a variety of materials and densities. When recommending foam rollers to my patients, I often say that when deciding on the material, ask yourself two questions.
- Do you consider yourself a beginner with foam rolling?
- Foam rolling can be painful when you’re first starting out as you’re not tolerant to the pressure and you also have a lot of myofascial adhesions in the beginning, so of course it will be more painful. Therefore, you would want to start out with a softer-density foam roller.
- How long do you want your foam roller to last?
- The higher-quality foam rollers can last several years, but they come at an increased cost. 💵 My personal foam roller has lasted me 10 years so far!
There are 3 main foam roller materials:
- Soft-Density Foam
- Soft-density foam rollers are best for beginners as they are the cheapest and most forgiving with the least amount of pressure applied.
- My favorite high-quality (yet more expensive) foam roller is the OPTP Pro-Roller. This one will last you for several years.
9.5- PROFESSIONAL QUALITY
- 36-INCH ROLLER
- SOFT DENSITY, COMFORTABLE COMPRESSION
- VERSATILE FITNESS TOOL
- MEASURES 36″ (LONG) X 6″ (DIAMETER)
- My favorite soft-density foam roller is made by Amazon Basics. It’s super cheap, lasts a decent amount of time, and is perfect for beginners.
9.6- AMAZON BASICS
- IDEAL FOR BALANCE, STRENGTH, & FLEXIBILITY
- FIRM, DURABLE POLYPROPYLENE
- LIGHTWEIGHT
- WIPES CLEAN EASY
- 18 x 6 x 6 INCHES (LxWxH)
- Hard-Density Foam
- Hard-density foam rollers are great for moderate to advanced users.
- My favorite hard-density foam roller is the Deep Recovery travel-sized foam roller.
9.8- DEEP RECOVERY MINI FOAM ROLLER
- HIGH DENSITY EPP FOAM
- 4-INCH DIAMETER
- PERFECT FOR TRAVEL
- Hollow-Core (Plastic)
- Hollow core foam rollers are basically hollow plastic pipes with a strip of foam wrapped around them. They are very effective for reducing soft tissue adhesions, but they should only be used by advanced users only.
- My favorite hollow-core foam roller is the TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller.
9.8- MULTI-DENSITY EXTERIOR OVER A RIGID, HOLLOW CORE
- SUPERIOR FOAM ROLLER DESIGN
- INCLUDES FREE ACCESS TO ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO LIBRARY
Types of Foam Rollers
There are 3 main types of foam rollers:
Smooth
- Amazon Basics Foam Roller
- Great for beginners, slightly cheaper materials
9.6- AMAZON BASICS
- IDEAL FOR BALANCE, STRENGTH, & FLEXIBILITY
- FIRM, DURABLE POLYPROPYLENE
- LIGHTWEIGHT
- WIPES CLEAN EASY
- 18 x 6 x 6 INCHES (LxWxH)
- OPTP Pro-Roller
- Higher quality, though more expensive
9.5- PROFESSIONAL QUALITY
- 36-INCH ROLLER
- SOFT DENSITY, COMFORTABLE COMPRESSION
- VERSATILE FITNESS TOOL
- MEASURES 36″ (LONG) X 6″ (DIAMETER)
- Amazon Basics Foam Roller
Textured
- Great for intermediate to advanced users
9.8- MULTI-DENSITY EXTERIOR OVER A RIGID, HOLLOW CORE
- SUPERIOR FOAM ROLLER DESIGN
- INCLUDES FREE ACCESS TO ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO LIBRARY
Miscellaneous
Travel Sized Foam Roll
9.8- DEEP RECOVERY MINI FOAM ROLLER
- HIGH DENSITY EPP FOAM
- 4-INCH DIAMETER
- PERFECT FOR TRAVEL
Collapsible Foam Roll
9.5- BRAZYN MORPH BRAVO SERIES
- FITS IN YOUR EVERYDAY BAG SO YOU CAN ROLL MORE OFTEN
- SEEN ON SHARK TANK!
- AS EASY AS PULL AND PUSH
- PORTABLE, STURDY, AND KINDER TO THE ENVIRONMENT
- VERSATILE FOR ALL ATHLETES
Roller Stick Massagers
9.8- IDEAL FOR INDIVIDUALS OF ALL SIZES
- HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS
- EFFECTIVE SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION
- PERFECT FOR TRAVEL
- PROMOTES MUSCLE RECOVERY
Frequency of Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is most effective when it is performed daily or every other day as part of a “maintenance program.” Oftentimes, foam rolling can be quite painful, similar to a deep tissue massage. However, if foam rolling is performed more frequently, then the overall amount of discomfort that is felt during the session will be drastically reduced.
Most foam rolling sessions should last 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the body part that is being targeted.
Considerations for Safe & Effective Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is a part of my daily routine, which has helped me maintain optimal health and mobility. However, if it is performed incorrectly, then it is possible to have adverse effects. Observing some general guidelines with foam rolling exercises can help maximize benefits while limiting any potential drawbacks.
- If you are just starting out, understand that foam rolling will feel like a deep tissue massage – This means that it will be painful when you roll over the trigger points. However, if you stick with it, over time the pain will decrease as the tightness of the adhesions decreases.
- Avoid rolling over bony prominences (except for along the spine) – Rolling over bony points can irritate the tissue if done repetitively.
- Avoid rolling over joints
- Understand that it may take several sessions before the soft tissue adhesions begin to release
- Avoid rolling the low back if you have a very weak core – There is an increased risk of straining your low back if you do not have enough core strength to stabilize when rolling the low back area.
- Gradually increase the frequency and durations of sessions as you become accustomed to foam rolling
- Do your best to stay relaxed when foam rolling – Even though it is painful during the session, the goal is to relax the muscles and soft tissue. If you remain tensed and guarded, foam rolling will not have as an effective response.
- Avoid rolling areas that are still sore from previous sessions – This is especially true when first starting out with foam rolling. Wait an extra day or so to target an area until most of the soreness has worn off.
Full-Body Foam Rolling Exercises
Frequency: Perform foam rolling exercises for 5-10 minutes as needed.
Beginners: Perform every 3 days or every other day
Advanced: Perform daily
Lower Body Region
Quadricep/Hip Flexor Muscles
- Roll from the front of the hip and stop just above the knee.
IT Band (Iliotibial Band)
- Lie with the foam roller centered on the outside of the thigh.
- Roll from just below the outer hip bone and stop just above the outside of the knee.
Hamstring Muscles
- Roll the back of the thigh from just below the buttock to just above the back of the knee.
Glutes
- Sit on the foam roller with your body slightly leaning towards that side.
- This protects you from placing any pressure on the Sciatic nerve, which is located in the center part of the buttock (we don’t want to put pressure on the Sciatic nerve).
- Don’t try to roll your buttock, rather try to relax on it and use the steady pressure.
Calf Muscles
- Roll from just below the knee to the Achilles tendon on the back of the ankle.
Upper Body Region
Thoracic Spine
- Tuck your chin to protect your neck and give yourself a BIG BEARHUG as if you’re trying to touch your shoulder blades (this pulls your shoulder blades apart to expose the muscles on both sides of your spine).
- Roll from the top of your shoulder blade level, down your back, and stop around the mid-back level.
- Take rest breaks if your neck gets tired.
Low Back Muscles/Lumbar Spine
- Caution: Only perform foam rolling exercises for your low back if you have adequate core strength.
- Use both hands to hold both sides of your thighs for added support and to take some pressure off of your back.
- Roll from the mid-back area to the low back.
- Slightly lean towards one side to target one side of the low back muscles, then roll towards the opposite side to target that side. Repeat back and forth as needed.
- Take rest breaks when your core gets tired.
Pectoralis Muscle Stretch (Goal Post Position)
- Lie on a foam roller vertically along the spine with the head supported by either the foam roller or a pillow.
- Place both arms in a “goal post” position.
- Relax into the chest stretch (pectoralis muscles).
- This stretch targets primarily one part of the pec muscles.
Pectoralis Muscle Stretch (Y Position)
- Lie on a foam roller vertically along the spine with the head supported by either the foam roller or a pillow.
- Place both arms in a “goal post” position.
- Relax into the chest stretch (pectoralis muscles).
- This stretch targets a different part of the pec muscles.
Lats Stretch
- Do not roll during this stretch, rather just relax on the foam roller with the pressure near the side of your shoulder blade/armpit area.
