Terre Pruitt's Blog

One thing about some certifications is you have to complete continuing education to earn a current certification. I like continued education because I learn new stuff. I have a few posts regarding foam rolling because I believed that it helped with soreness. I thought that if you foam rolled after a workout you may recover faster. Well, I still believe that, but I now also believe that foam rolling BEFORE a workout can be very beneficial too.

So, foam rolling is a form of massage and massage brings blood into the muscles. Which is why we used to stretch before a workout. Now we know that it is better to warm up before a workout and stretch after. Warming up usually entails moving fast – a little cardio or, my preferred method, moving the body in the way it will be moving in the workout. Maybe not the exact way but move the joints and muscle in the way the workout will move them. There have been studies that have shown that if you use a foam roller before the warm up your performance in the workout may actually improve and that it will shorten the time needed for recovery. So, if you take a few minutes to use the foam roller before your warm up you may be through the DOMS sooner than if you didn’t use the foam roller. You may also sense your muscles are less tired during your workout.

I thought that was pretty amazing. So when my limbs have that heavy tired sensation, I have been trying to take the time to do a few minutes of foam rolling BEFORE working out. Now, I don’t know if it is the placebo effect or if it really is helping, but it seems like it is helping. I believe that rolling BEFORE my warm up has helped me perform better and not have days of soreness after. It is pretty cool. I am pretty excited about it. I thought I would share it with you so that you could try it for yourself.

Do you include foam rolling in your exercise?