How to make muscles healthy and elastic with a massage roller

Why use a massage roller

The roller massage technique is called Self-myofascial Release (SMR).

It consists in creating pressure on different muscle groups by pressing the roller with the weight of your own body and slowly rolling it under you. The effect of this technique is comparable to that of a massage therapist, who pushes muscles in order to relax them and improve blood circulation.

And the positive effects of the myofascial relaxation technique are no less than those of massage. Let's take a look at what benefits you can get by supplementing your workouts with rolling on a roller.

Relieving muscle tension

Sedentary work, stress, age - all this reduces the elasticity of the muscles, makes them stiff and limits the mobility of the joints. Muscles lose moisture, cross fibers form in them, which disrupt their structure and reduce mobility.

The deep impact of the massage roller ensures normal blood flow and muscle nutrition, restores normal structure and mobility. Self-massage gradually restores muscle health, makes them soft and elastic.

Eliminate trigger points

Trigger points are constricted muscle fibers that obstruct blood flow, preventing the muscle site from receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. At the same time, metabolic products and toxins build up in the muscle, causing pain, pressure, and spasms.

Trigger points appear due to heavy loads during training, maintaining a static position for a long time, for example, when working at a computer, stress, poor posture and other factors. To get rid of them, many try to stretch the painful muscle, but this does not give the desired effect. Healthy muscle fibers stretch, but this does not help get rid of trigger points.

The myofascial relaxation technique is much more effective. By rolling out painful points, you get rid of clamps, restore blood circulation and normal muscle function.

Good warm-up and reduced risk of injury

It is often not advised to do static stretching before training, as well-stretched muscles contract worse, which leads to a decrease in strength.

You can use a massage roller to warm up and prepare your muscles for training.

Research has been done recently. to determine how self-roller massage affects knee extension strength and knee mobility.

Participants rolling their quads on a massage roller had an increased range of motion, while their strength indicators did not fall. The researchers concluded that self myofascial relaxation is an effective tool for increasing range of motion without harming the muscles.

By warming up your muscles well, you reduce the risk of injury during training, and your strength performance does not drop. Ideal for warming up.

How to roll out on a massage roller

If you have problems with the musculoskeletal system, consult your doctor before using the myofascial relaxation technique.

Take a roller and place it under the muscle group that you will be working on at the moment. Lower yourself onto the roller with your entire body weight and begin to move, rolling it under you and keeping the body weight on your hands.

Here are some tips for effective myofascial relaxation:

You need to roll out slowly, moving the roller no more than 2.5 centimeters per second.
If you find an area that feels painful and stiff, stop for a couple of seconds and relax. After 5-30 seconds, the pain and discomfort should disappear.
If the area is too painful to continue pressure, slide the roller and work the surrounding areas. Your goal is to restore muscle health, not increase pain tolerance, so you don't have to push through very sore spots.
Never roll out joints or bones.
Avoid rolling your lower back on a roller. You can use massage balls or tennis balls to work out the muscles in your lower back.

By the way, massage balls can also be used to roll out other areas - gluteal muscles, trapezium, shoulders, hips. In addition, some parts of the body can be rolled out on the barbell.

Massage exercises with roller, bar, ball

Neck massage

If there are problems with the neck, do not roll it out without consulting a specialist.

Double or single massage balls are used to massage the neck.

Lie on your back, place the ball under your neck on the side. Do not roll your neck over your spine. This could be bad for his health.

Start rolling the ball up and down, watching your feelings. If you find sore spots, stop and work them carefully.

You can do the same while standing against a wall.

Trapezius muscle massage

The trapezius muscle can be rolled out on the floor or while standing against a wall. Try both.

Place the massage ball under the top of the trapezius muscle and move your body by rolling it up and down. Do not go into the spine.

You can also roll out the trapezius muscles under the barbell bar. Set the bar to the desired height, place your shoulder under it, push hard and begin to move from side to side.

Shoulder massage

Lie on the floor on your stomach, place the roller under your shoulder with your elbow twisted away from you, and unroll your deltoids.

You can also do this with a massage ball: on the floor or against a wall.

Upper back massage

Lie on the floor with the roller under your upper back, arms folded on your chest or behind your head. Bend your legs at the knees and place your feet on the floor. Slowly roll your upper back away from your lumbar region.

If you feel tension in some place, you can stop and ride the problem area.

Latissimus dorsi massage

Lie on your right side on the massage roller, extend your right hand up and place your left on your right shoulder. The right leg is extended, the left is bent at the knee, the foot is on the floor.

Roll the roller under you in this position, focusing on the most tight and painful places.

Buttocks massage

Buttock massage can be done both with a massage roller and with a ball.

Roller massage

Sit on the roller, transfer your body weight to your right buttock and rest your right hand on the floor. Bend your right leg at the knee at an angle of 90 degrees, place the left ankle on the right knee.

Pushing off with your right foot, roll out your buttock, and then do the same to the other side.

Ball massage

Ball massage allows you to better work your trigger points and relax your muscles. Sit on the floor, place the ball under the muscles of your buttocks and, resting on your hands, roll out the painful areas.

Hip biceps massage

Sit on the floor, place the roller under the back of your thigh and work out the muscles using your arms.

If you need to roll out the muscles very carefully, use a bar from the bar. Set it to the desired height (just below your thigh), place the back of the thigh on the bar, lean on your body weight and roll it out.

massage roller: massage the thigh on the bar

Outside thigh massage

Sit on the floor, place the roller under your hips and roll onto your right side. Lean on your right hand - on your wrist or forearm.

Roll out the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. There is the lateral broad muscle of the thigh - part of the quadriceps.

Front thigh massage

We continue to roll out the quadriceps, namely the rectus femoris muscle. Lie on your stomach, place the roller under your hips and lift your body, placing your hands on your forearms. Roll your hip from knee to hip.

Inner thigh massage

Lie on the floor on your stomach with your hands on your forearms. Bend your right leg at the knee and take it to the side, place the massage roller under the thigh. Roll the roller from knee to hip. Repeat with the other leg.

Calf muscle massage

Cross your legs and place them on the massage roller. Lift your pelvis, put your hands on the floor and roll out your muscles. Due to the fact that you additionally press the unrolled leg with the second leg, the pressure increases, which means the effect of the massage.

How long does it take to massage with a roller

In research. the influence of the massage roller on the range of motion indicated that positive changes were observed after 1–2 minutes of rolling on the rollers. From this we can conclude that one minute is the minimum time for rolling out the muscles to achieve a positive effect.

If you roll out all muscle groups on a roller, it will take at least 20 minutes to complete the myofascial relaxation session.

Not everyone has that much time to warm up or cool down, so you can pick a few muscles that hurt the most and work them out well and leave others for the next session.

When is it better to roll out on a roller

The best time to roll out on a roller is to warm up before training. Even before you go to the treadmill or pick up the rope, roll out your muscles on the roller. This will increase circulation, prepare your muscles for exercise, and improve your performance.

After training, it is advisable to do stretching in order to return tense muscles to their previous length and relax them. If you have enough time, you can repeat the self-massage on the roller after your workout, especially if some muscles remain tense. The roller will help to relax them and prevent severe muscle pain the next day.