Why You Should Be Foam Rolling

Why You Should Be Foam Rolling

October 3, 2013, 12:00AM

If you have been to health clubs in recent years, you may have noticed a few people rolling and writhing around on cylindrical pieces of foam. The technique is called foam rolling and probably doesn’t look all that inviting given the grimaces on the faces of some who practice it. Despite its appearance, however, foam rolling can actually help you feel better and perform better in your workouts.

Foam rolling is also called myofascial release and is designed to work out the “knots” in your muscles. You could compare the practice to self-massage. The technical terms for “knots” are trigger points or myofascial adhesions. Fascia is a form of connective tissue that wraps and bundles muscles (myo) together. Myofascial adhesions can develop through stress, training, overuse, underuse, movement imbalances and injuries. They are essentially points of constant tension and addressing them can have a positive effect on your workouts. Ignoring them can lead to further dysfunction and may perpetuate and/or cause injury.

As you might imagine, muscles and fascia do not literally tie themselves into knots. However, the analogy isn’t too much of a stretch (no pun intended). Take an elastic band and tie a knot in the center and stretch the band. The elastic around the knot can stretch, but the knot itself will stay put and get tighter. This will result in a “speed bump” of sorts, affecting the shortening and lengthening of the affected area. This is not unlike the functionality of muscles. The area around the adhesion gets worked, but the area affected by the adhesion will not reap the same benefits. In other words, the rich part of the muscle gets richer, while the poor part stays poor.

The Bad News and the Good News

The bad news is that foam rolling is not noted for its comfort. The good news, however, is that you can and should control the amount of pressure applied and steer clear of pain. Learning how to control the amount of pressure to a mild and tolerable discomfort is important. The objective of rolling is to help the area relax, and applying too much pressure can reflexively invite the opposite response. When introducing pressure to a sensitive area, you may experience a slight knee-jerk type reflex. But if you do not go in too hard, you should experience what feels like air being slowly let out of a tire.

In highly sensitive areas, eliminating tension completely is not likely to happen following one application. However, some improvement can be noticed immediately. With consistent and diligent application applied to the peskiest areas, elimination of chronic adhesions may be possible.

Application: Ease in, Search and Eliminate

As with all things exercise related, you should ease yourself in gradually. Start with a softer roller (if available) and prioritize how to control your body on the roller and the amount of pressure you apply. It is better to be too soft than too hard, especially in the beginning. Once you feel a comfortable level of control, administer pressure to the most sensitive areas for roughly 20 to 30 seconds. As you get to know your body and how it responds to foam rolling, you may go shorter or longer as needed.  

Prioritizing

It is very possible to find several trigger points throughout your body. Spending time on each one may take a while and won’t be much fun. Therefore, you can prioritize what to focus on in two ways: 1) address the muscles you are working that day; and/or 2) address the areas that are most sensitive.

When starting out, take inventory over a couple of workouts to determine your areas of greatest need. A great way of identifying needs is to compare left and right sides. Most of the muscles rolled will be the extremities and can be rated on a sensitivity scale of 1-10 on each side. It is very common for one side to be more sensitive than the other. The more sensitive side deserves more attention and should become the higher priority. But keep comparing sides. If done well and consistently, sensitivity should decrease and left and right differences will balance out.

When to Perform

Foam rolling can be performed prior to and after your workouts. When applying prior to your workout, only focus on problematic areas. Remember, foam rolling is designed to reduce tension and relax a muscle. Doing this to a healthy muscle may relax it to the point of being less effective during your workout. But for muscles that carry excessive tension, spending time on the front end of training can help reduce poor and imbalanced movements during your workout. Post-workout rolling can focus on all of major muscles worked, with an extra emphasis on the areas that appear problematic.

Foam rolling is one strategy that can help improve symmetry in the body. By taking a few minutes during each workout (and each day if necessary) to work out adhesions, you can help prepare for, and recover from, exercise more effectively. Tension can be released from the area, while blood flow and nutrients can increase, leading to healthier muscle tissue and a more effective fitness program.

Instructions: Search the entire muscle to find one or two of the most sensitive spots. Once there, apply pressure on the spot until some tension is released. Either stay on the spot longer, or generate small movements back and forth.

The exercises below target several common areas that can benefit from foam rolling, including the calves, glutes, inner thighs, outer thighs (IT band) and lats.

Foam Rolling Exercises

1. Mid-upper Back

• Lean back against the roller, positioning it beneath your shoulder blades.
• Raise your hips slightly and maneuver your body up and down to find sensitive areas.
• Keep the roller between you shoulder-blade region. Avoid the neck and lower back, where there is little support.
• Take slow, deep breaths.

2. Calves

• In a seated position, support your body with your hands behind you to prop yourself up.
• Place one leg on the roller starting at the lower calf (above the Achilles).
• Roll your calf by moving your body slowly toward the roller.
• Search for sensitive areas along the calf.
• Turn the leg inward and outward to explore more areas.

3. Inner Thigh (Adductors)

• Begin in a face-down position and place the roller parallel to your body.
• Work your way slowly to the upper groin area until you identify the most sensitive area.

4. Lats (Latisimus Dorsi)

• Rest the roller at a slight angle toward the back side of your armpit.
• Rock your body forward and backward and up and down to search for sensitive areas.

5. Gluteus Maximus/Piriformis

• For the glutes (Figure A), rest your weight your left elbow with the roller above the hipbone. Find the sensitive area and switch sides and compare.
• For the piriformis (Figure B), which is often a sensitive area, sit on the roller and support your body with your left hand on the floor. Cross your left ankle onto the right knee and search for sensitive area. Switch sides and compare.
• Use contact points on the floor to control the amount of pressure.

6. Outer Thigh (IT Band and Lateral Quadriceps)

• The outer thigh is highly sensitive. Use caution and ease in.
• From a side-plank position, place your right elbow on the floor and your left hand and left foot on the floor in front of your body. (Note: These are your main contact points to control the amount of weight you rest on the roller.)
• Use contact points on the floor to control the amount of pressure.
• Start above the outside of the knee and slowly maneuver your body over the roller toward your hip.

By Christopher McGrath


Chris McGrath, M.S., is the founder of Movement First, a New York City-based, health and fitness education, consulting and training organization. With more than 20 years of fitness and coaching experience, McGrath specializes in a variety of training modalities including sports performance, injury prevention, post-rehabilitation and lifestyle/wellness coaching. McGrath is a Senior Fitness Consultant to the American Council on Exercise and has established himself as an international fitness expert.

Fit Tip: Workout at Work

Fit Tip: Workout at Work

by Life Fitness

October 08, 2013 // Category: Fitness Advisor

If you think you can’t get your workout into your day because of work—think again. If you are skipping your workouts due to a busy job and sitting in an office all day, that’s a double sedentary whammy. Sitting too much is detrimental to your health and can increase your risk for a cascade of health ills including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and depression. Even a little is better than nothing. Here’s how to get a workout at work. Try one of these ideas:

Move at your desk. If you have to sit for your desk job, stand up when you take phone calls. Pace if you can. Stretch your legs under the desk. Do calf raises while you wait for your document to print. Reach up and stretch your arms or back once in a while. Walk to talk to a coworker instead of sending an email.

Plan a walking meeting. If your business or boss doesn’t mind, get coworkers and have your meeting on your feet. Walk and talk. Walking outside is thought to spark more creative thinking anyway. 

Do a noon workout. Head off to the gym or go for a run during your lunch hour. Always keep a stocked gym bag in your car or office so you can workout at lunch when you have the time. A lunchtime workout can give you an energy boost for the rest of your afternoon and improve your mental clarity. Your boss will thank you!

Rally your coworkers. Have a walking lunch break with coworkers. Spend a short time eating and more of your time moving. As the saying goes, “You won’t get the butt you want by sitting on it.”  Get some fresh air and burn some calories while you get in lots of steps during lunch hour. 

Move more throughout your day.  Creatively sneak movement into your day.  Park far away from your office and log some extra steps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk the stairwell repeatedly on a break. Do some squats just above your office chair. Do pushups into your desk. 

Don’t let work kill your workouts. Take control and get your workout while at work. Your body and mind will work better with those workouts!

- See more at: http://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/fit-tip-workout-at-work.html#sthash.PZKdpHhy.dpuf

CALORIE BURN ON ELLIPTICAL

By Julie King, August 20, 2013 | More posts from Julie

When it comes to burning calories, the elliptical is an ideal tool for beginners to elite exercisers. Because they deliver a total-body workout at various resistance levels, elliptical machines work all the major muscle groups, which increases caloric expenditure. And because the workload is dispersed through the entire body, the perceived exertion is lower, so exercisers typically don’t feel that they are working as hard as they actually are.

Calorie burn during exercise is based on several factors, including:

• Body weight – the heavier you are, the more calories you typically burn during exercise
• Body composition – people with more muscle mass tend to burn more calories
• Gender – because men can be heavier and have more muscle mass than women, they may burn more calories for the same workout
• Duration – the longer the workout, the more calories you expend
• Intensity –  greater resistance, a faster pace, a higher heart rate and incorporating vigorous intervals will boost your calorie burn
• Upper-body work – the more you actively engage your upper body, the greater your caloric expenditure

In figuring your calorie burn on elliptical, it’s important to input your body weight before your workout. If you don’t provide your body weight, the machine usually defaults to calculating calories for an “average” 150-pound person. If you weigh less than that, the calorie burn noted on the machine will be an overestimate; it you weight more, it will underestimate your actual number.

And keep in mind that these numbers are estimates and can vary by the elliptical manufacturer; without being measured in a lab, you won’t know the exact number of calories burned. According to the Harvard Medical School, you burn approximately 2.16 calories for every pound of body weight during 30 minutes of elliptical use. For example, a 160-pound person would burn about 345 calories during 30 minute on the elliptical.

Here are some standard figures:

• 120-pound woman, 30 minutes = 250-310 calories; 60 minutes = 450-600 calories
• 150-pound woman, 30 minutes = 300-400 calories; 60 minutes = 550-800 calories
• 180-pound man, 30 minutes = 375-500 calories; 60 minutes = 750-950 calories
• 200-pound man, 30 minutes = 400-550 calories; 60 minutes = 800-1000 calories

Maximize your caloric expenditure by working hard (don’t just coast and read a magazine), incorporating intervals, challenging yourself with higher resistance levels and paces, watching your heart rate to stay in your zone and adding minutes to sessions as your endurance improves.

- See more at: http://blog.octanefitness.com/calorie-burn-on-elliptical/#more-667

7 Tips to Consider When Purchasing a Treadmill

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Micky Zimmerman

Walking into a fitness store can be an overwhelming event. There’s typically a wide variety of equipment to view and consider buying for your home. But it doesn’t have to be a fearful experience. Armed with some sound advice, you can find the perfect treadmill to bring home and enjoy for years to come. Knowing a little in advance what you may be looking for will help your specialty fitness retailer provide suggestions on the treadmill for you. Here are seven tips to consider when purchasing a new treadmill.

1. Never ever buy a treadmill you don’t have an opportunity to try first

This advice should be applied to the purchase of any piece of fitness equipment. The way a treadmill fits and feels to you is perhaps the single most overlooked consideration and will have a tremendous influence on whether or not you enjoy using it and whether or not you want to get on and use it again. Reviews are helpful, but do not rely on reviews alone.

2. Space and placement

Know where you want to put the machine and measure the space before you go shopping. If you are considering a folding unit, know that this feature adds to the cost of any unit and ask yourself if it is a necessary feature, meaning will you actually fold it up when you are not using it.

3. Don’t think that just because you plan on walking that the motor isn’t important

Walking can, in many cases, create more work for a motor than running. This is because at slow speeds the amount of time your foot is in contact and “dragging” or being pulled across the deck surface is longer than when running. Your push off at the end of a running stride will also “push” the belt. This push is missing while at walking speeds. This “push” also occurs when walking at inclines, both of which assist the motor. When the motor is running fast it also has the assistance of inertia.

4. Programs are not bells and whistles

There is a varying degree of quality and effectiveness in programming options, but in general, programs should help you achieve your goals faster while keeping you engaged in your workout. Ask yourself if your current or past “routine” is getting or had gotten you the results you are after. Ask your sales consultant if the unit has any programs that are specific to the goal you are trying to achieve. Great examples of this would be Sprint 8®, Glute Burn, 5K, HR Control and Virtual Active™ programs.

5. Controls

Are the controls for speed and incline displayed and accessible in a way that is easy and comfortable for you to use when walking or running on the treadmill the way you will use it at home? Can you change speed and incline while running or walking at full stride or a high incline without jeopardizing your safety? Again, it is important that you try the treadmill before you buy it, go shopping in comfortable, preferably workout, clothing. Don’t forget to consider the design of the side steps: Are they wide enough, and are they slip resistant?

6. Where you buy is important

Buy from a dealership/salesperson that you can come back to for support and questions after the sale. Although a treadmill purchase can be a pricey endeavor, remember that it is still a mechanical item with many moving parts that must work in unison. And even the very best quality exercise equipment has the potential need for support and service.

7. Prepare yourself for an investment

Know that a quality treadmill should last you for many years and that it is a long-term investment. Although everyone should work within their budget, don’t skimp where you don’t have to. This purchase is a long-term commitment to yourself, and you’re worth it. You don’t want something you won’t enjoy, and you don’t want to buy a treadmill every couple of years.

Print these buying tips out, write them down or save them in a file on your computer. However you choose, make sure you consider these tips when walking into any fitness store to make the next treadmill purchase for your home.

Fit Tip: Focus on Abs

Fit Tip: Focus on Abs

by Life Fitness

May 28, 2013 // Category: Fitness Advisor

Most dream of having sculpted abs, but it’s not an easy goal to reach. The abdominals are used in virtually every movement from running and lifting to bending and jumping. While cardio exercises will whittle away your middle by torching calories and burning fat, you can achieve a flatter and tighter stomach with the right strength exercises. And crunches aren’t the only way. Try these non-crunching exercises to get results: 

Plank: This traditional exercise starts in the standard push-up position: face down, hands shoulder-width apart and balancing on your toes with the abs contracted. (To modify, you can start on your forearms instead of your hands and/or drop your knees to the mat.) The most important thing is to keep your body straight from head to heels (or knees if modifying). Maintain the position for 15-30 seconds by engaging the abdominal muscles and holding the position, being mindful not to let you chest or lower back sag. Use a mirror to check your form. As your core muscles improve, you will be able to hold this position longer. Gradually increase your time up to a minute or more. To increase the difficulty, try lifting one leg to create a balance challenge.

Side Plank: Lie on either side balancing on one arm with your legs straight and the top leg stacked directly on top of the bottom. (To modify, you can start on your forearm instead of your hand and/or drop your bottom knee to the mat.) Align your head with your spine and keep your hips up and your abs contracted. Your side muscles, the obliques, are working hard in this position.  Maintain the position for 15-30 seconds by engaging the abdominal muscles and holding the position. You can increase the intensity of the side plank by increasing the length of time you are in the raised position and by raising the upper leg off the lower leg for an intense balance challenge. 

Lunge Twist: For this move, grab a five-to 15-pound dumbbell (depending on what you normally use) with both hands. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight out. Take a big step forward with your left foot and, tightening your abs, twist your torso to the left as you bend your knees and lower your body until both of your legs form 90-degree angles. Twist back to center, push off your left foot and stand back up. Do 15 reps on each side. Keep your elbows straight but not locked.

- See more at: http://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/fit-tip-focus-on-abs.html#sthash.n9jLiTng.dpuf