I can take the pain.
Some days I like to inflict it on myself for a good half hour.
Some days I like to inflict it on myself for a good half hour.
Today I added a long-awaited device to my at-home torture chamber – the RumbleRoller. Oh rolling. How you hurt so good.
Gorgeous isn’t it? I fell in love with this beauty when I first rolled my right calf over it last year. I can’t remember where but I knew I had to make one mine. I looked everywhere but I couldn’t find one in Red Deer (not a big surprise). I have others but none that those with dumps that dig right into the sweet spot. Finally I found one at Collegiate Sports Medicine (great physiotherapy place!).
I’ve been using a variety of tools – lacrosse ball, stick and soft/hard rollers – for a while now. Runners and crossfitters swear by them for self-myofascial release or soft tissue therapy. (It’s basically a self massage using devices to loosen up the fascia and improve mobility.) Here’s some articles from Runner’s World on how to use them to rehab injuries or loosen up muscles. And another good one from Crossfit Invictis.
Mostly I pay attention to my calves and shoulders. It really does the trick! I can really feel my muscles loosening up after a few minutes. I have been told that you should roll on whatever muscle for a minimum of two minutes or longer. To keep myself honest, I use a timer on my iPhone.
A few months ago, I hurt my shoulder (not sure how) and the injury rears its ugly head every now and then. Mixed with already tight shoulders and gross posture, I am in pretty bad shape. I try to have regular massages but my work plan only covers $300 a year and at $75 a pop, I blow through that money pretty quickly. So having these devices at home can really help out a broken runner (and someone who sits on their butt for most of the day).
Because I have been feeling especially tight in my shoulders lately and I’m amping up mileage, I am going to amp up my rolling in March.
Do you roll? How many rollers do you own?
I just got my first foam roller- I think I like it but I haven't used it very much yet. I want to add it as a part of my schedule for a few weeks to see if I see the benefits I keep hearing about!
Yes I love foam rollers! I have one foam roller, one pair of Yoga Tune Up balls and one massage stick.
The rumble roller looks downright scary! I have to admit that now that I've been rolling regularly I finally get it. After awhile rolling seems to hurt less. I have the Grid and a few other TP tools but I've never spotted the Rumble Roller before.
I have 4 rollers of different sizes/types, and I have a bunch of knot finders and trigger point balls as well. While I don't roll all the time, when I do, I've been known to roll for hours. Hurts so good.
I own a couple of rollers, but I need to add a large grid style foam roller to my collection. My current favorite is my recovery stick made by Addaday. It has knobs that spin independently of each other so it always seems to hit just the right spot. I joke that it's my favorite medievel torture device, lol!
The Rumble Roller does indeed hurt so good! I couldn’t believe how much the first time I used it, but I persevered 🙂
Chris recently posted…Where to Buy a Foam Roller