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Commonwealth Games Finalist Jayne Nisbet Gives her Top Tips on Foam Roller

A lot of people view the foam roller as your arch nemesis, but it is honestly one of the most essential and therapeutic form of recovery you can do to ensure you are able to train the next day.
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The benefits of foam roller have to do with the mobility of the fascia. Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of the muscles in our body. Without proper mobility, fibers of the fascia become cross linked and they bind to muscles and nerves, inhibiting normal motion and causing pain. If we don’t stay on top of our flexibility in our muscles, it will affect our joint movements and therefore lead to incorrect technique and further injuries.

The good thing about a foam roller is that it can get right into your deeper tissue, like a massage but without someone else physically having to be there, and for me I feel it is a super important part of my routine and my routine for my clients.

My top tips for foam rollering are :

Get some expert support before you start rolling :

Most gyms actually run foam rolling workshops now a days to help their members understand and learn how to do It effectively. It is much better as with everything to get the technique right first and then focus on hitting the correct muscles in the correct manner. A lot of people don’t understand the benefits or see the benefits because they are completing the movements wrong. This could also be support from your own personal trainer to understand movements.

Don’t roll directly where you feel pain :

Normally where you feel pain or tightness is due to the muscles surrounding that area being tight. Start by easing off those muscles surrounding first before targeting that specific area. This will take the pressure off the pain point. Then you can move into the direct point of pressure that you are feeling.

Don’t roll too fast :

The slower you go the deeper the muscles you will hit. When you roll slowly, your muscles will adapt to the compression of the roller and actually feel the benefits. If you roll too fast your muscles will have no adaption time and therefore no change will occur. We need to take your time, hit the deeper muscles and loosen off those aches and pains.

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What benefits does foam rolling have?

It helps prevent injury and aids recovery :

By understanding your own myofascial release will enable you to recover faster from your own sessions and avoid yourself getting caught up in injuries due to tight muscles. Foam rolling has become massive in elite level sport as it is an instant tool for myofascial release rather than waiting for a masseuse appointment. It has also been proven to help reduce your DOMS – which everyone loves to hate, but it will benefit your recovery massively.

Your mobility and flexibility will improve :

With looser muscles around your joints, your mobility is going to improve dramatically. With improved mobility and flexibility it is going to enable you to have a more effective technique, whether that is running, lifting, sport specific, it is overall going to improve your movement capabilities, and therefore improve your performance in whatever sport or fitness discipline you do.

It will save you time and money :

We all can’t afford to book in for regular massage slots, or even have the time too. Understanding and using the foam roller will save you money and time in the long run and on top with all the other benefits above your overall wellbeing should improve due to more money, being fitter and more focused towards your goals. Everyone value time these day, so I would 100% recommend investing in one of these and spend 10 – 15 minutes a day watching love island in the evening rolling out your muscles to improve your performance tomorrow.

To learn more about Men’s Health’s highest rated foam roller, check out the latest PulseRoll Product.

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