[meebosh]

Hi Everyone! First time posting on Uphill Athlete.

I was looking for others’ feedback on whether they foam roll and what benefits they’ve seen from foam rolling?

I currently run, cycle and strength train for general conditioning. I typically do a light cardio warmup and dynamic stretches prior to any workout and a static stretching routine (holding 40 – 60 seconds per stretch) after workouts.

I’ve modified my routine over the years to train “key” muscles to prevent injury, focus on gradual progression, adequate rest, and proper technique. I believe its working, but my last injury to posterior tibial tendon took 2 years to overcome and hope to reduce the chances that I’ll experience something similar in future.

I know this is a loaded question, but I really do value peoples opinions and thoughts.

Thank you so much in advance!

Topic

[Diana]

Diana on February 24, 2021 at 4:48 pm #51215

I recently heard this podcast from “The CoachCast” by TrainingPeaks and thought it was very enlightening on the topic of injury prevention. It is about “pre-hab”, basically doing a 20 minute session of physical therapy style strength and mobility work daily to prevent injuries, as well as potentially getting an assessment of, and working on, your form in sport.

Dialing in Prehab with Physical Therapist Nathan Koch

Hope you like it!

[turboRunning]

turboRunning on February 24, 2021 at 9:17 pm #51226

It is easy to forget about or neglect this part of training, I think that is why so many runners/endurance athletes find themselves injured.
Those working a full time job (lots of runners and skiers) will find themselves with very little free time, even if they are only averaging 8hr a week of training.

Stretching post workout will probably improve your mobility and at least serve as a sort of cooldown, so props for doing so; however, I think you could benefit more by researching specific “pre-hab” (as Diana mentioned) specifically designed for your sport, and utilizing the “workouts” at least several times a week.

These days there are so many free resources online for this stuff. In fact, I follow several accounts focused on rehab, “pre-hab”, or running form on instagram, and as a result see a lot of the information even during my down-time.

As for foam-rolling specifically, individually I find it helps but it definitely isnt my favorite; although, any sort of muscle tension release activity like foam-roll, massage, or thera-gun should help muscle recovery.

Overall, I definitely notice my body’s stiffness and fatigue more on weeks that I neglect the boring self-care stuff.

Hopefully not too much opinion and speculation overload here…

B

[emwa]

emwa on February 25, 2021 at 9:31 am #51243

I can offer my experience, though I have no idea how relevant it might be to others. I had a bad ankle injury almost 20 years ago that has given me persistent problems up that leg, including knee and IT band issues. I always do my IT band PT (basically glute medius exercises) at the end of my strength training days and I do think that staves off IT band issues, at least for <3k foot hikes. TBD on the longer ones–fingers crossed. Anyway sounds like you can never have enough butt strength for back health too so I figure it’s well worth the time.

I also always make sure to do plenty of core exercises. I have friends with back issues and I do NOT want those. The sad thing is for one of my friends, it was just a small skiing injury he had as a teen that didn’t really bother him for years but as his discs aged and compressed like all of ours do, it became debilitating. Now at 43 he can’t do any of his favorite activities. It’s really sad. So, I’ve started to focus on my at-work posture and am trying to eat as healthy and “non inflammatory” as possible since apparently this can affect your spinal discs over time.

Finally, I just invested in The Roll Model book and set of balls and I think I’m an instant convert. I’ve used foam rollers for a long time especially as I was rehabbing from my various surgeries, but they are nothing like these balls. I think I’ve already seen an improvement in my range of motion at the ankle, which is key, and because the balls are soft you can really relax into the massage instead of grimacing through it. The whole package was $78 and seeing as I pay $150 per visit for an out of network Chiro/ bodyworker, I think it was well worth the money.

[TerryLui]

TerryLui on February 25, 2021 at 2:06 pm #51257

This is how I approach foam rolling as well (it’s like a self-administered massage!)
Sore/tight muscles post-workout = foam roll them before they turn into injuries. Hit the roller post-workout, hit it again on rest days targeting the muscle groups you’re utilizing.

Foam rolling post injury takes so much more work, time, and discomfort but c’est la vie

“pre-hab”, basically doing a 20 minute session of physical therapy style strength and mobility work daily to prevent injuries,

however, I think you could benefit more by researching specific “pre-hab” (as Diana mentioned) specifically designed for your sport, and utilizing the “workouts” at least several times a week.

[meebosh]

meebosh on February 26, 2021 at 11:13 am #51294

Thank you all for your feedback and recommendations! I’m currently reading about pre-hab online and I ordered a copy of the Roll Model book.