Soft Tissue and Stretching

A foam roll might be an athlete’s best tool in training. Forget the super expensive shoes and training equipment. If you are not moving with correct function and you do not have proper range of motion, it will lead to an aching body and result in injury. Rolling out the muscles will improve tissue quality of the muscle. You will move better, have increased blood flow and will reduce injury. Think of it as a “poor man’s massage”. Poor muscle tissue leads to inadequate blood flow to the working muscles and flexibility issues and you will begin to compensate through other areas, thus leading to over use and injury. Rolling should be done daily to enhance your muscle tissue and increase flexibility. If you are experiencing knee pain, glute pain, low back pain or calf pain, rolling can tremendously assist in alleviating that pain. Specifically, you need to roll your calves, quadriceps, adductors, glutes, IT band and thoracic spine (mid-back) region.

Along with rolling you need to implement a proper stretching program into your routine. Rolling will assist in flattening out the muscle, while stretching will assist in proper lengthening of the muscle. They go together. Implement static and active stretching into your routine. Static is where you hold a stretch longer than 30 seconds. Active stretching is where you hold a stretch for 5-10 seconds and perform 3-10 repetitions per muscle group. Stretching is all about correct positioning. You need to have great posture and mechanics when you stretch. You should be in a state of “mild discomfort” when you stretch, NOT PAIN! Stretch your hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, calves and adductors (groin) on a daily basis to improve muscle length and range of motion.