How to use a foam roller, plus 5 exercises to help tired muscles recover

Every runner knows they should be foam rolling more to help tired legs recover, but what are the benefits of foam rolling and how do you do it?

What do foam rollers actually do?

Foam rollers can be used to help improve athletic performance. Foam rollers claim to improve muscle and connective tissue flexibility, to help muscles recover and to reduce post-exercise fatigue, soreness and stiffness.

A form of self-massage, there's some evidence to suggest foam rolling can increase the efficiency of training or competition preparation and for accelerating post-exercise recovery.

Roll and play with how much you can tilt to the right Journal of Athletic Training, post-workout rolling not only helps to alleviate DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) but also improves sprint time, power output and strength endurance in the days following a tough session, helping you to stay on track as the week progresses.

Another meta-analysis conducted in Germany confirmed that foam rolling can help retain sprint performance and flexibility, as well as reduce perceptions of muscle soreness.

What are the benefits of foam rollers?

Despite the popularity of foam rolling, the evidence, says Matthew Piff, physiotherapy regional lead at Nuffield Health, is still quite scant – and further research may be needed to say with certainty what its effects are.

‘Most research shows small and short-lived gains in athletic performance, such as flexibility, speed and power,’ he says. ‘Reduced post-exercise soreness and stiffness from exercise have also been shown to be reduced when using foam rolling as a recovery tool. Anecdotally, users report feeling less stiff, improved recovery and report its use as a warm-up tool to prep muscles for exercise.’

If you’ve never used a foam roller before, how do you know how to start?

Foam rollers can be a little awkward to use – especially if you’ve not used one before. Place the foam roller underneath the muscle you want to ‘roll’ and then use your body weight to apply pressure to the soft tissues with a rolling motion.

‘I would suggest that just trying it and exploring the benefits foam rolling gives you is the best place to start,’ says Piff. ‘If you have any uncertainty, then seeking advice from a personal trainer would be beneficial to teach technique and establish a programme of exercises to carry out. If part of a sports club your coach may also have some good tips to help get you started.’

Why does foam rolling hurt?

‘Foam rolling can feel sore because it compresses muscle tissue, which is innervated with lots of sensory nerves,’ explains Piff. ‘Foam rolling following exercise can also be more uncomfortable as the muscles will be sore already from exercise. During exercise lactic acid builds up in muscles and micro damage to our muscle fibres can occur. It is important to note at this point, that this is a normal effect of exercise. Foam rolling on top of this can be sore as these effects of exercise can cause low levels of
muscle ache and pain, therefore further stressing these already sore tissues. It is also important to note that some research has shown positive effects of foam rolling for recovery, thus suggesting that the discomfort when doing it can be worthwhile.’

What are some common foam rolling mistakes?

1.Best wireless headphones
Just 10-20 seconds of foam rolling can already show benefits, and you shouldn’t roll any one muscle group for longer than one or two minutes. Ten minutes is probably a good session length for the entire workout.

2.Gradually push your body up and down so it moves over the roller under the backs of your thighs
Avoid rolling joints or bony areas, in particular areas around the torso and lower back. The IT band is often flagged as an area to avoid. But according to Lewis Macgregor, lecturer in Physiology and Nutrition at the University of Stirling, as long as you avoid the bony regions ‘the IT band can be safely foam rolled’.

3.Rolling through pain
It’s tricky to learn the difference between normal muscle pain and something more serious. Macgregor has a good rule of thumb: ‘If the foam rolling itself is causing some pain that wasn’t already there, then it would probably be best to stop.’

4.Not using complimentary running tools
Foam rolling is just one string to your bow. Macgregor warns that ‘foam rolling can be a useful compliment to a warm up routine, but shouldn’t be used as the only form of warm up. Similarly foam rolling can be useful for recovery, alongside appropriate sleep and nutrition.’

5.Roll and play with how much you can tilt to the right
Foam rolling isn’t fun, and it’s tempting to just speed through it. But rolling quickly doesn’t give the muscle tissue enough time to become compliant and relaxed. Go slow, go easy and don’t go for too long

Which are the best foam rollers on the market?

Since foam rollers became popular, there’s been an explosion in different options for runners. Here’s how to pick the best one for you:

• Firmness — For foam rolling newbies, a roller may seem like a torture device. Digging into sore muscles after a tough workout session takes some getting used to, which is why the firmness of a foam roller determines how much oh-so-good pain you are willing to handle.
• Texture — Like firmness, the texture of a roller will determine the level of intensity. This can range from a perfectly smooth (gentler) surface, to a spiky (really intense) one.
• Portability — If you’re looking to travel with your roller during your next race, you'll want something that fits in a standard suitcase.
• Tech — Health & Injuries.

Read our review of the best foam rollers on the market here

I don’t have much time to foam roll – what exercises should I focus on?

As runners obviously put a lot of exercise strain on the lower limbs, Piff suggests starting foam rolling on these major muscle groups. ‘This could be done as a warm-up pre-sport or as part of a post-exercise recovery programme,’ he adds. ‘Foam rolling the major muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calf muscles) for a period of 1-5 minutes on each muscle group is a good place to start.’

In terms of frequency, Piff suggests aiming for 2-3 times a week – but adds that the evidence is not well-researched, so it's best to find what works for you.

‘A continued hot topic for runners is foam rolling the ITB,’ he says. ‘Evidence has shown that foam rolling the IITB (iliotibial band) has little effect on the length and is often just a painful exercise. It is widely agreed that targeted strengthening of the glute muscles and changes in running biomechanics is more effective.’

What are the best foam rolling exercises for your lower back?

Foam rolling your lower back is a difficult exercise to do and needs a degree of core strength to perform correctly. ‘You may also find that arching over the foam roller feels uncomfortable,’ says Piff. ‘If you are going to try this, I would advise lying over the foam roller, slightly turning your upper body and supporting your weight on one elbow and directing the rolling to the lumbar muscles on one side, then changing sides to get the other set of muscles.’

Only got 10 minutes? Add these five foam rolling exercises to your post-run routine to help boost recovery and keep yourself running strong.