Why Foam Rolling is a MUST!

Can Myofascial release (foam rolling) really improve a hockey player’s performance?

I am almost certain that by now every single hockey player foam rolls to some degree. If you are not foam rolling then you better start! If you are someone who currently foam rolls but doesn’t know all the benefits or how to do it correctly then you should continue reading.

To foam roll properly you want to place the foam roller on the ground and roll on the muscle from joint to joint. If you take the quad, for example, you will lay your quad on the roller, starting just above your knee cap and roll along the muscle up towards your hip bone. Once you have reached your hip bone you will roll in the opposite direction back towards your kneecap. Make sure you don’t rush this process. It should take you about 7-12 seconds to roll from your kneecap to your hip.

Benefits of Foam Rolling

In order for us to perform at our maximal potential, our muscles must be in optimal form. This is accomplished by a good warm-up. And within that warm-up, we use the foam roller. When our muscles are cold they are stiff due to a lack of blood in them. If we apply too much load to a stiff muscle like for example during a squat, this can increase the chance of injuring the muscles. Foam rolling increases blood flow to the muscles and this decreases stiffness within the muscle to help prepare them for the workout. Another reason foam rolling is so important is because it improves our range of motion (ROM). The greater our ROM is the more strength we can develop throughout that range and this strength will transfer better onto the ice. Having greater ROM also protects the body against injuries that may be caused by unexpected movements.

Foam rolling helps to activate the musculature of the core by mimicking movements of a plank. If we can’t brace and contract the muscles of our core to stabilize the spine while we lift then we will leak force and this will have a direct impact on our strength. Most, if not all the exercises we perform in the gym, require some type of bracing of the spine. For example, when we squat we need to brace the spine in order generate force to lift the weight. The better we can stabilize the spine the more force we can produce and therefore the more weight we can lift. The greater the load the more stability we need.

Our bodies have a fascia that acts as a sheet that covers the muscles. When this fascia loses elasticity and becomes dehydrated it can form fibrous adhesions. When these adhesions start to form they can have an adverse affect on the muscle’s strength, endurance, and motor coordination. Foam rolling helps break up these adhesions and restore the muscle to its healthy state. When foam rolling, if you come across a tender spot (point of discomfort but not painful) on your muscles this is the result of one of these fibrous adhesions. Due to the negative impact these adhesions have on the performance of our muscles we must break them up by continuing to roll over the tender areas. As these adhesions break up, the fascia warms and becomes more fluid-like and restores back to its original form.

Foam rolling has also shown to help correct muscular imbalances and relieve joint stress. Unlike static stretching which impairs neuromuscular performance, foam rolling doesn’t impede the performance of the muscle prior to exercise. In order to get the full benefits from foam rolling, the roller being used must be hard enough for the individual to create enough pressure on the muscles.

How to Foam Roll Before

You will want to target the muscle groups you will be training for that day. For example, if you are training your legs, you’ll want to make sure you foam roll your quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and calves. Make sure you spend at least 2 minutes on each muscle group as this is the minimum amount of time it takes to increase your ROM (note: the areas that need increased ROM are quads and hamstrings).

How to Foam Roll After

Once you are finished working out I would recommend spending some serious time on the foam roller to help eliminate any tender spots. Rolling post-exercise has been shown to decrease the effects of DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness). Healthy muscles aren’t tender when foam rolling so make sure to focus on any areas that are extremely tender and roll even slower over these areas to help break up those fibrous adhesions. Foam rolling can be used for warm-up, recovery, maintenance, to improve ROM, decreased joint stress, and optimize muscular function.

What areas do you find the most tender when foam rolling?