#NationalFoamRollingDay
Three years ago, I had no idea what a foam roller was. The naivete of a new runner.
So what is a foam roller?
“A foam roller is a piece of exercise equipment used for self-massage. When used correctly, they can sooth tight, sore parts of the body. This can speed up muscle recovery. This process is also called myofascial release.”
This sounds like something all runners and triathletes should do!
The Neon Runner house has a plethora of myofascial release products. We boast three foam rollers. I keep the mini Trigger Point one at work, so it’s missing from this picture. We also have two Omni ball massagers, which I recommend EVERY runner to get. We often carry them around in our gym bags, so who knows where they are!
My favorite is the Trigger Point massage ball. It’s great for shin splints, sore glutes, and knots in the calves. The Stick gets used on the boys quite a bit. The big black one (a cheapo Amazon find!) is good for rolling both legs out at once, but I also use it for some back stretches that I learned in yoga class.
I try to get 2-3 good foam rolling sessions in a week, in addition to my every other week massage therapy appointments. Mr. Neon and I usually foam roll while we watch television. Sometimes we have to turn the volume up though to drown out the groaning.
Do you have a foam roller? How often do you use it?
Neon Runner Girl 