Commonly at REV, a client shows up to the office with really tight muscles but aren’t sure the best way to get their muscles loose. Most often, I recommend doing some form of self muscle release with a foam roller. Almost always, the person in pays says “I have one of those foam rollers but I don’t know how to use it.”

Recently, I had a police office who wears a 30# work belt and sits in his squad car for almost all of his shift tell me “that $10 foam roller has changed my life.” What I realized after that visit it wasn’t the $10 foam roller he has laying around that changed his life, it was me empowering him what the knowledge to know what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and for how long to do it that changed his life.

Now back to the best way to loosen up tight muscles. Typically a combination of tissue release (foam rolling, massage, scraping) combined with the appropriate stretching/mobility drills are the best way to loosen up tight muscles. Lets dive deep into what foam rolling muscles does and how it can help you loosen your muscles.

1. What does Tissue Release mean?

   Foam rolling, massage, scraping are all forms of tissue release where pressure is put on the muscles in order for them to relax

2. How Does Tissue Release Work?

   Theses techniques work by sending a signal to your brain to temporarily (more on this later) tell them to relax and loosen

3. What Should I Do?

   Start by gentle rolling an entire length of a muscle, I typically go 2 inch down and 1 inch back up until I do the whole muscle

   If you find a really tender spot, hold that spot for 5-10” to allow the roller to sink in deeper

4. How Long?

   AT LEAST 2 minutes of time under tension of a muscle is needed for it to relax. The more consistent you are at doing it, the less time it will take

5. When Should I Foam Roller?

   Depending on the intent, it can be before or after activity.

   Before is used to get tight muscles loose and ready for the demand of activity

   After is best to help accelerate the recovery process provide relaxation/downregulation from activity

6. What Muscles Should I Do?

   1. Any muscle that is tight but most commonly I prescribe:

      1. Quad Muscles

      2. Hamstring Muscles

      3. Gluteal Muscles

      4. Lats/Back of Shoulder

I believe that every person should be empowered with the tools to perform self maintenance on themselves. Just because you have tight muscles, you shouldn’t have to go get a massage. Having the knowledge of what to do for a specific problem is what will lead to longevity.

Are you dealing with nagging aches and pains that are not going away and want to see if we can help. Click the button below to book a Free Discovery call to see what we can do to help!

Dr. Ryan