Just about every gym you walk into these days have muscle rollers lying around but few people know how to use one properly or why they even matter.
The truth is: muscle rollers help. A lot.
The scientific term for muscle massage is called self-myofascial release or SMR for short. The objective of SMR is to relieve your muscles from tightness and fatigue so you can feel better and recover faster. One of the best ways to perform SMR is with the help of a muscle roller.
A few common ways to massage your muscles is with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or your own hands. While some ways are better than others, what’s most important is that you do it before, during and after a workout.
Need more convincing? Consider the top four benefits of muscle rolling:
1) Improves Flexibility and range of motion
Instead of starting your workout with a series of static stretches, recent studies suggest the best way to improve your flexibility and range of motion is to start each workout with just a few minutes of muscle rolling. Give it a try before your next workout and see if you notice a difference with your performance.
2) Increases Blood Flow and Circulation
Rolling your muscles before, during and after a workout can help improve blood flow and that’s what carries oxygen throughout your body. As you can imagine, getting enough oxygen to your muscles is vital to performance. With restricted blood flow, your overall health is at risk.
3) Reduces Muscle Tension and soreness
After strenuous activity your muscles are prone to feeling tired and sore. This feeling of soreness can slow down recovery times preventing your body from getting back to its peak condition in time for the next workout. Massaging your muscles post-workout is one of the best ways to release this tension and speed up recovery.
4) Prevents Injuries
The best way to treat an injury is to avoid it in the first place. Using a muscle roller as part of your typical workout routine can help prevent injuries by reducing muscle fatigue and tightened muscle fibers. Take a few minutes to roll out both large and small muscle groups prior to a workout to keep your body healthy.
Final Thoughts
Most people opt to roll out their muscles with a traditional foam roller but it is designed to focus on your body’s largest muscle groups. Often times it’s your smaller, harder to reach muscles that hurt the most and end up causing the most issues.
To help target these harder to reach muscles and joints, our friends at Viberoll have invented the world’s first handheld vibrating muscle roller and it is specifically designed to deliver targeted pain relief for tight muscles, knots, kinks and trigger points using an interchangeable vibrating roller system.
They have a really cool Kickstarter campaign with some sweet perks for early supporters, so head over to their page and check it out now. After you take a look, come back and let us know what you think in the comments below.
