Foam rollers -- What to look for

After reading my articles about what a foam roller is and some of the foam roller exercises that you can perform, you are probably wondering how to decide what foam roller is right for you. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, stiffness, materials and colors. There are foam rollers that are flat on the bottom and round on the top (like a semi circle). There are foam rollers that are cylindrical. There are short foam rollers and long foam rollers. Some foam rollers are very hard, while others are compressible.

I recommend that anyone buying their first foam roller, get a 6 x 36 cylindrical roller. The semi circle rollers can be useful for balance training, but this is getting away from the primary benefit of why we use a foam roller -- soft tissue therapy. A 6 x 36 foam roller will give the most possible versatility with your selection of foam roller exercises. All the most important exercises for foam roller therapy will be well suited to this type of foam roller.

I also recommend that people purchase a high quality, high density foam roller. These are often black in color. While the high density foam roller may be uncomfortable at first to the new user, it is important for the foam roller to be stiff in order for the user to be aggressive when trying to relieve sore and damaged muscles. These  foam rollers have a smooth surface and they will not lose their shape, deform, or compress with heavy use. These are molded foam rollers, which means they do not have cells, or pockets of empty space. These allows them to last much longer than cheap foam rollers under long term use.

A quality foam roller of the type I described, will probably cost around $25. Do not try to get away with purchasing a cheap foam roller. Your foam roller should be one of the most important weapons in your arsenal to aid recovery so that you can keep training and improve your athletic performance.

The foam roller -- What is a foam roller?

A foam roller is a product that allows the user to give himself a massage. This is also known as self-myofascial release. Using a foam roller is a form of soft tissue therapy often used by athletes and recommended by physical therapists. When someone engages in vigorous physical activity, the functionality of the muscles will often be impaired. This is known an somatic dysfunction.

Have you every experienced seemingly random pain in certain muscles the day after a CrossFit workout or simply running? Foam roller therapy can reduce or eliminate this pain in time by relaxing these contracted muscles. Foam roller exercises will also increase blood flow to the affected areas. Foam roller stretches can aid in the drainage of lymphatic fluid in the muscle.

Foam rollers can increase athletic performance. When you want to jump as high as you can, you naturally bend your knees first and then jump. You are instinctively taking advantage of the "stretch reflex" of your muscles. This means that your muscle contracts more intensely (allowing you to jump higher) when you stretch the muscle (bend your knees). Well guess what? A foam roller can actually stimulate the functioning of this reflex!

So how exactly does foam roller therapy work? All of your skeletal muscle tissues have something called fascia, which is the soft tissue that protects the muscle. When this piece of tissue becomes overused, that's when we experience pain and decreased athletic performance. Foam rolling reduces this inflammation, which restores our muscles back to a pain-free, optimal state.

Foam rollers are not just used by athletes. They are also popular in other actives such as pilates and yoga. Foam roller exercises allow you to lengthen the skeletal muscle, giving you instant flexibility for your favorite yoga pose or pilates activity.

Not all foam rollers are created equal. Foam rollers vary in their stiffness. Some are very hard, and others have a lot of give. You want to make sure that if you buy a foam roller with give to it, that it will return to its shape immediately after being compressed. A very stiff, or high density foam roller is recommended for more advanced foam roller users and athletes. This is because foam rolling can initially be a bit painful as you begin to rehabilitate your soft tissue.