Foam Rolling, Flexibility, and FUNctional Movement
Foam Rolling:
Foam rolling is getting an increasingly negative rap in the world of rehab and therapy, because it is often used in a larger capacity than it really should be. Foam rolling should not be a cumbersome task that patients spend hours a day on. Nor should the goal be to mash every single muscle group in the athlete’s body until they resemble a tenderized chicken breast.
There are so many reasons why to recommend Foam Rolling:
It feels good.
It provides tactile stimulation over a large portion of the body.
It helps create a dedicated "self-care" time in the gym.
In classes, its a great tie to talk about the day's plan and congratulate members.
It helps encourage people to get into crawling/oblique/transitional postures otherwise ignored in daily life
People like it.
Ultimately, foam rolling is a good tool that can be used (on the patient’s own time, & as often as the patient would like) to reinforce the bigger changes made in the office of the practitioner (which likely only happens a couple of times on any given week).
Flexibility:
Flexibility doesn’t come from foam rolling or trigger point balls. It comes from purposeful movement through full ranges of motion. This is why I recommend adding a regular yoga practice to all of my patients- YES, even my powerlifters and body builders!
If adding flexibility is your goal, define which ranges of motion you aim to improve and practice a movement that challenges that range!
Better yet- FIND SOMEONE to help you define these movements- a skilled movement specialist who is thoroughly trained in functional movement. They will be able to pinpoint some of the gaps in your daily movement (and your weight training) and help coach you to round out your motor skills. Don’t know where to start? Send us a message- if we’re not in your area, we can help find someone who is.
Functional Movement:
When seeking to improve one’s movement, we embrace a process of:
Global mobility (Desensitize tissues to pain, using a global tool that is more tolerable, e.g.: the foam roller)
Focused mobility (Further desensitize tissues while adding some dynamic movement- using more specific tools- e.g.: LAX ball, neck trigger point tool, j-cane)
Tissue extensibility: This is where the stretching part comes in, the large majority dynamic, some area static, some PNF, and some full range capacity
Pattern reinforcement: now the motor control/ activation exercises- insert DNS, Yoga, any range of specific interest
Loading: tool of choice, kettlebells/mace- full body movements such as a goblet squat, deadlift, steps 1-3 of a get up and eventually a swing — as this is a much more skilled movement.
In some cases we may target each of the major movements of the Dan John appraoch: push, pull, squat, hinge, carry. In others, we may focus heavily on one aspect of movement as a means to mitigate issues from other movements.
Why does this matter?
In the rehab setting, the goal is not about improving your maximums, rather, it is about improving your base level strength and training capacity so that you have deeper foundations. When you raise your movement minimums, you have more capacity to mitigate future potential injuries. (Another reason why adding a movement system practice- like yoga, animal flow, DNS- is recommended in all of my patients!!!)
Just as you wouldn’t try to build a skyscaper on the same foundations you would a house. Build a deep baseline of strength and authentic movement, and your body will have the capacity to cope better with the strains of life (not to mention the strains of elite-level training).
So yes, the foam roller is not the end-all-be-all, but it has its place in this process. Without each of these pieces, long-term rehabilitation becomes a challenge. Using tools like foam rolling and dynamic stretching allows the patient to become involved in their own care. Integrating these tools into everyday care helps to reinforce good self-care habits, body awareness, and a general appreciation for movement. Complete active care involves each of these processes: foam rolling, flexibility, and movement.