Foam rollers

[PaloAltoCougar]

Does anyone else use these? I'm referring to the firm, foam cylinders that are about 36" long and around 6" in diameter. I'd seen people, mainly women, rolling on them and thought they looked dorky and were, presumably, pointless. Then Vinnie (my personal Marquis de Sade) had me start using one to stretch before and after workouts. It may be largely in my imagination, but I really like the results. It helps eliminate soreness and has me well on my way toward my goal (modest though it is) to touch my toes by Christmas. That goal may seem odd, but two week ago I could scarcely reach even mid-calf, the result of five decades of becoming stiff, and not in a good way.

Anyway, when I finish a 10-12 minute session with the foam roller I feel and look like Woody Allen when he emerged from the Orgasmatron, and I require no bishop's interview.

[hostile]

Does anyone else use these? I'm referring to the firm, foam cylinders that are about 36" long and around 6" in diameter. I'd seen people, mainly women, rolling on them and thought they looked dorky and were, presumably, pointless. Then Vinnie (my personal Marquis de Sade) had me start using one to stretch before and after workouts. It may be largely in my imagination, but I really like the results. It helps eliminate soreness and has me well on my way toward my goal (modest though it is) to touch my toes by Christmas. That goal may seem odd, but two week ago I could scarcely reach even mid-calf, the result of five decades of becoming stiff, and not in a good way.

Anyway, when I finish a 10-12 minute session with the foam roller I feel and look like Woody Allen when he emerged from the Orgasmatron, and I require no bishop's interview.

i don't use one as often as I should. When I do, I notice a significant difference in posture and back discomfort.

[old_gregg]

eh?

[Pheidippides]

Does anyone else use these? I'm referring to the firm, foam cylinders that are about 36" long and around 6" in diameter. I'd seen people, mainly women, rolling on them and thought they looked dorky and were, presumably, pointless. Then Vinnie (my personal Marquis de Sade) had me start using one to stretch before and after workouts. It may be largely in my imagination, but I really like the results. It helps eliminate soreness and has me well on my way toward my goal (modest though it is) to touch my toes by Christmas. That goal may seem odd, but two week ago I could scarcely reach even mid-calf, the result of five decades of becoming stiff, and not in a good way.

Anyway, when I finish a 10-12 minute session with the foam roller I feel and look like Woody Allen when he emerged from the Orgasmatron, and I require no bishop's interview.

I use one for my IT band after almost every run.

[OhioBlue]

funny you should post this....I just bought one yesterday morning. A PB Elite 3' x 6". wife and I both plan to use it regularly, me primarily for iliotibial band tightness.

[Jacob]

Use it almost every day after a workout. And on the IT band, they say it is great and there is no other good way to stretch it, but man it sure can be painful. It's painful anywhere if you have worked that muscle hard.

[Commando]

A foam roller cured my IT band syndrome last year. Hallelujah for holy foam rollers!

[bluegoose]

I use one for my IT band after almost every run.

Same. Without the roller, no question I would have been sidelined from my marathon last year. Our roller has gotten my wife's IT band in good enough shape where she is in the best running shape of her life.

They sure do hurt, though. Brings tears to me eyes, especially when trying to roll out my ITB and quads.

[TheBYUGuy]

I don't run, but chalk another one up for IT band relief. TheBYUGal isn't running right now because of pregnancy, but she used to spend about 15-20 minutes a day on the foam roller after running. We've had about 5 friends borrow it from time to time to work out various running maladies.

[Eddie]

Tell me more about these things. I've heard they're great - but how do you use them for stretches?

Even running track in High School and stretching every day it was painful for me to APPROACH touching my toes. I'd like to do more stretching, but I've got a bulging disc in my back and the physical therapist and doctors both recommended against anything that bends over like that and puts added pressure on the disc precisely where it is bulging.

Anything that will help with stretching, recovery, etc. would be great - but I haven't heard much about foam rollers.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Tell me more about these things. I've heard they're great - but how do you use them for stretches?

Even running track in High School and stretching every day it was painful for me to APPROACH touching my toes. I'd like to do more stretching, but I've got a bulging disc in my back and the physical therapist and doctors both recommended against anything that bends over like that and puts added pressure on the disc precisely where it is bulging.

Anything that will help with stretching, recovery, etc. would be great - but I haven't heard much about foam rollers.

Eddie, I'm a total newb to this, so treat my words with the appropriate level of respect (zero). First off, if the professionals say not to apply pressure to the area of concern, I'd certainly respect that--foam rollers add a lot of pressure to whatever spot you're rolling on. Talk to the pros about whether to use one at all.

Subject to that major caveat, I'll say again that the roller is great, at least as good as a massage, and a lot cheaper. Rather than write up what I do with the roller, here's a video that shows pretty much everything, and the instructor is somewhat more attractive than I am.[YOUTUBE]5lLw81kGeXg[/YOUTUBE]

[Eddie]

All right any injury/medical know-it-alls out there (and I mean know it all in a GOOD way...)

I've got what feels like a pulled calf muscle. Probably the soleus from the way it feels. I was just running along and suddenly felt like someone had stuck a knife in me. I've been running at least 3-4 miles at a shot 4-5 times a week, so it surprised me that I was only about 1.6 miles into the run when it happened.

Anyway - more to the point.

I recall reading somewhere that using the foam rollers helps with stretching to avoid injury, but also helps in speeding recovery from injury.

Is this true or wishful thinking? I've picked up a foam roller and would love to start rolling my calf. From what I've read, this helps to stretch the muscle. And I just want to make sure that the kind of stretching a foam roller would do is more good than bad.

Any input?

[Jacob]

All right any injury/medical know-it-alls out there (and I mean know it all in a GOOD way...)

Any input?

I had a similar injury last year. It was pretty bad. I went to a doctor and to physical therapy. Stretching and massaging the muscle are both helpful in recovery and prevention according to the doctor and therapist, so foam roller is good.

For more pain, try rolling out your calf on a lacrosse (or similar) ball.

Calf strain can take a while to heal.

[Eddie]

I had a similar injury last year. It was pretty bad. I went to a doctor and to physical therapy. Stretching and massaging the muscle are both helpful in recovery and prevention according to the doctor and therapist, so foam roller is good.

For more pain, try rolling out your calf on a lacrosse (or similar) ball.

Calf strain can take a while to heal.

Thanks for the input. I suspect that I pushed my training a little to hard too fast and I'll have to cut way back. Obviously nothing right now - but I hope to be able to ease into walking next week and some mixed in light jogging before the end of February.

Any exercises in particular they PT had you do to strengthen the muscle and decrease the chances of this happening again?

[Jacob]

Thanks for the input. I suspect that I pushed my training a little to hard too fast and I'll have to cut way back. Obviously nothing right now - but I hope to be able to ease into walking next week and some mixed in light jogging before the end of February.

Any exercises in particular they PT had you do to strengthen the muscle and decrease the chances of this happening again?

I think PT is mostly worthless. I wouldn't waste your money. Almost everything you can do at home. Calf raises and stretching mostly. Give it several weeks before you start pushing it. The Doc said that once you strain it you are very likely to re-injure it again before it heals. And for some reason you are also likely to strain the other leg.

But once it's healed, you can go all out. I make sure to stretch my calves more often. I've also been told that once you hit 30, you need to spend more time stretching the calves and achilles to prevent those injuries.

Mine took at least 4 weeks to heal, maybe longer. I didn't do anything on it for the 1st 2. Then I built up slowly and after 4-5 weeks was back to doing intense training.