Your muscles are almost certainly going to be aching after that HIIT session or long run. Those hardworking muscles are torn down by exercise and need rest to heal. You’ll increase your chance of an overuse injury if you don’t give your body enough time to heal.
Using a foam roller after a workout has become more popular since it allows you to target those trigger points and relax sore muscles from various angles. Foam rolling seems to be very easy, doesn’t it?
Well, it’s not. Take a look at these 6 mistakes you shouldn’t make while using the best vibrating foam roller for athletes.
#1. Applying Incorrect Pressure
In terms of pressure, there is a sweet spot when it comes to foam rolling. It’s usual to use too much or too little—in either case, you won’t be able to adequately repair injured muscle tissue.
Not all parts of the body are created equal. Applying the same pressure to every place isn’t a good idea. Adjust your pressure as needed, and remember that your body will tell you what it requires.
#2. Investing Too Much Time In Specific Areas
While certain places are tenser than others, you don’t want to overdo it by remaining in one place for too long. For any part of your body, 30 seconds to a minute is recommended.
Also, keeping the best-rated vibrating foam roller in one position while twisting side to side and then moving your body over it up and down the length of the muscle is a wonderful method to effectively explore the fascia and foam roll.
#3. Rolling a “Cold Muscle” in Foam
If you spend too much time on one area before a workout on a “cold” muscle (one that hasn’t been warmed up via exercise), you risk injury.
Foam rolling (self-myofascial release) is suggested as the first step in your warm-up. To prevent injuring the fascia and creating inflammation, you should ease into rolling a cold muscle with gentler pressure at first.
#4. Only Rolling In One Direction
Fascia runs in all directions, so you want to make sure you cover all of them. To begin, hold the roller still and rotate your limb from side to side (like a screwdriver). Then, roll the muscle lengthwise.
#5. Choosing the Wrong Areas to Roll
There are a few bodily areas you shouldn’t touch. The low back, neck, and pubis region are places to avoid. There just isn’t enough thick muscle tissue in specific places to make rolling safe and effective.
Rolling out the pec muscles, hips, and quadriceps may help refresh your body from bad posture. To prevent injury, use a tennis ball instead of a foam roller for your low back.
#6. Starting From the Wrong Point of View
You should progress from a comfortable position toward pain. Start with the least tense places and work your way up to the most stressful. Don’t move too rapidly from one muscle group to the next. People who roll too quickly are doing it incorrectly.