Foam Rolling

Have you guys ever seen those things at the gym that look like big rollers? Made of foam? With people strangely and provocatively rolling on them? You may have wondered, what the heck is that? And why are people rolling on top of them?

Well, they're foam rollers! And they are great and necessary accessories to any athlete's (and non-athlete's) training.

I was introduced to foam rollers my junior year of high school when I started weight training more seriously and doing some physical therapy. They are such a great tool pre- and post-workout to prevent injury and keep your muscles loose and pliable for training. Think of it as a tool for doing a deep tissue massage without needing a masseuse. :) Foam rollers can break up and prevent a lot of the tension that builds up when weight lifting, running, cycling, or doing anything that seriously engages your muscles. It's always important to stretch pre- and post-workout and using the foam roller can assist just about any muscle with that. Here are a few examples from bodybuilding.com but do some research on Google to find how you can really target specific muscle areas. 

I have a foam roller (a big red one I've suitably named Big Red) and it's my best friend. ...is that sad? Maybe. Oh well. I could spend 20 minutes rolling on that thing, easily. So next time you see one of these bad boys, give it a go and get yourself a nice little massage on the foam roller. :)