Hey guys!
As some of you may know, mainly those that follow me on Snapchat (jsln_rbt), that I workout intensely throughout the week. Legs, back, abs, the whole sha-bang, it's all fun and games until you get home from the gym and the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) kicks in and you're left crippled or unable to lift your arms up.
Some people love this feeling as they feel that it's evidence that they had a good workout session and others just feel that it's an annoyance as it might mess up the rest of their day or possibly, their week if they're in too much pain.
I personally like the pain to an extent, especially on leg days, feeling the burn afterwards is quite satisfying and makes me want to eat good to help repair the muscle.
When I first started working out, basic stretching was all I was doing to aid flexibility and recovery but as I started lifting heavier and working out harder, I need to something more to help me out.
This is where massage rolling, or foam rolling, comes into play for me.
Massage rolling or the fancy term, self-myofascial release, is self massaging to release muscle tightness or trigger points.
It can be done before or after a workout, I usually do it afterwards but if I don't do it that day, I massage roll the next day before my workout so the muscles don't get too tight.
I purchased both a massage roller and a massage ball as they work in didn't different ways, there are other massage techniques and equipment also but I just preferred these two, at least to start off with.
When I started foam rolling regularly, I noticed a big improvement in my recovery and the way my muscles were performing. At first, I was only foam rolling around twice a week, I could feel the difference it was making to my body so I increased to whenever I worked out. Foam rollers are much softer to use on the muscles, especially the IT band and back muscles. However, for tougher muscles such as the quads and hamstrings, they can handle more of a grid roller (shown above).
I love the positive effect it is having on my body, I massage roll nearly twice a day, once before or after my workout and then again before bed, I feel great relief when I do, so why not!
I purchased my massage roller and spiky massage ball at my uni store because we have discounts on there but I'll link below some affordable ones on eBay. They're great pieces of fitness equipment to have at home, my gym provides them but when you're quads are failing you when you get home, it's always handy to have them by your bedside. . . literally!
I hope this post has highlighted the importance of massage rolling and hopefully has encouraged you guys to look into it, it's so beneficial for our bodies and I really recommend it*, I have seen a huge improvement in my mobility and recovery and doing it daily keeps me from complaining about DOMS!
Massage Roller (Grid)
Spiky Massage Ball
Thanks for reading,
Jesslyn
*Disclaimer* I don't have any fitness qualifications, all info given in this post is based on my experiences and what works for me. Please do thorough research before performing any exercises or stretches. Thanks!
