Any Foam Rollers On Here?

onionmk

Looking to try out a foam roller as I believe it will help with general muscle pain and tightness experienced after hard days in the saddle. I already do a few stretches but find they can only help so much. Anyone had any experience with these? Any tips you could share?

CptKernow

Yes, they definitely work. Take a bit of work to figure out how to use effectively and also which rolls are of most benefit to you. To start with it can be a pretty unpleasant experience, but definitely worth sticking with.

I generally do the side of my thighs, side of my glutes (in sort of half cross legged position) and bit of hip flexor work.

onionmk

CptKernow wrote:

Yes, they definitely work. Take a bit of work to figure out how to use effectively and also which rolls are of most benefit to you. To start with it can be a pretty unpleasant experience, but definitely worth sticking with.

I generally do the side of my thighs, side of my glutes (in sort of half cross legged position) and bit of hip flexor work.

Thanks- I'm looking to work on much the same areas including quads. Should I start off with a flat roller or the one with the rough surface? I would imagine the latter to be more effective at working the muscles than a flat one?

CptKernow

oxoman wrote:

Just use a flat roller, it's painful enough without adding ridges and things. Use it after long rides or runs to stretch out the muscles. It can be tough the first few times.

Yep, flat one to start with. It is a world of pain first few times. Now I barely feel it

Can happily roll with all weight on side of leg / IT band. This would have killed me when I first tried.

onionmk

Thanks! Can't wait to try them out

daniel_b

Yep they do hurt like a bee-atch when you start, but persevere, do it every day if you can, and it eventually becomes comparitively painless.

I also use a longer smaller diamerter one for my back - one when I have it the length of my spine, and rotate my upper body in the opposite direction to my lower body, is that makes sense.
And also using the same roller, starting at the shoulder blades and rolling down towards the hips, and repeat that a few times.
The number of times back ache\pain is caused (For me) by a bit of air inbetween vertebrae, and this exercise gets them out, you can hear them pop sometimes!

thejames

I dont use foam rollers but heard if you done them on boney bits it can be bad? is that true?