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The Importance of Foam Rolling
Hi Everyone!
Today I am going to talk about the importance of foam rolling. I really like the benefits that I get from doing it and I hope to pass that along to you. So, what is foam rolling? According to healthline.com, foam rolling is a type of self-massage that allows you to alleviate tightness or trigger points by using a piece of equipment known as a foam roller. Who should foam roll? Literally anyone that experiences muscle pain can do it. This could be from a workout, sporting activities, sitting at a desk all day, poor posture, etc. I can fall into multiple categories and I’m sure you can too. You can do this before or after your workouts, or both if you are feeling really motivated.
What are the benefits?
Foam rolling can decrease late onset muscle soreness, increase range of motion, and aid in recovery. It increases blood flow to the areas in which you roll so that increases the amount of oxygen your tissues are getting. In turn, it aids in quicker recovery. I have found that when I do roll, when I return for my next workout, I am less sore and able to get a better workout in. An eight-person study in the Journal of Athletic Training suggests that foam rolling after a workout can help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness, and therefore boost your performance in later workouts.
How do you use a foam roller? Healthline.com has some awesome gifs to show you great ways to use a foam roller on different muscles. I have included them here. Make sure that you are relaxing and not rushing through rolling. You need to relax your muscles in order to experience the largest benefit from rolling.
Quads
Calves
Hamstrings
Upper Back
Lats
Shoulders
Where can you get one? I personally got my foam roller from Target. I have also seen them on Amazon, at Walmart, and at sporting goods stores. If you workout at a gym they may even supply you with one you can use there. I know here in Utah at VASA Fitness, they do. They come in many different sizes and types. You will have to decide which type you would like to get for yourself. I like a smooth foam roller but you can also get a textured roller for a deeper massage. If you are just starting out, I would definitely suggest getting a smooth roller first and moving up to the textured roller when you are ready and more experienced.
I really feel the benefits of using my foam roller! I hope that you loved today’s post, let me know in the comments below. If you love my blog posts, please subscribe below. It would mean a lot to me.
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Welcome!
Welcome to the Active Beauty Blog. I wanted to give you guys a little background about me and what this is going to be about. I am Hayley Sweeney. I fairly recently, within the last two years, got really interested in going to the gym and becoming healthier. When I was in the beginning, I didn’t really know what I was doing or what to do at the gym. I would just follow Shane (my husband) around and basically mimic what he was doing. I was very intimidated by the other people at the gym and honestly felt stupid and insecure.
I really wanted to get fit for my wedding in August 2017. I decided that I was going to get a personal trainer in order to learn how to reach my goals. My trainer was really nice and helped me to get closer to my goals but wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I was hoping he would help me to set up a personal plan for me to help me reach my goals. What I got instead was a general workout that was given to all clients and slightly adjusted to skill level. At this point, I was getting a little more comfortable doing my own thing at the gym. I would honestly look at the pictures on the machines and hopefully be able to watch someone use the machine, if I was lucky enough. Then I would try it out for myself. It was a much longer process than I was expecting to learn what the heck to actually do. If I didn’t have Shane there to push me to reach my goals, I might not have even kept going. I don’t want that to happen to others.
Fitness has helped my life tremendously. I suffer from depression and through fitness, I can manage it very well. I’m not saying that it can be the cure for everyone but it definitely helped me. It has also helped me to gain a ton of confidence in myself. It helps me to remember that I can do hard things. Exercise helps your body to release endorphins so it really does help you to feel better each time you do it!
Recently, I have been getting a ton of fitness questions from a lot of different people. I wish I had time to train with each of you, but I, unfortunately, don’t have the time. Through a blog I know I can reach many more of you. Feel free to reach out to me with questions and/or suggestions. I will do my best to answer them and it may even be featured in a blog post so we can help others too! I want to be able to show you guys what to do when starting at the gym and how not to feel so awkward. I want to show you guys different types of workouts, healthier meal/snack options, self-care, where to get cute gym clothes, and some of the things I use to aid in my workouts. I am not a personal trainer, nor am I a nutritionist but I would love to share what I have learned with all of you! I want to make it easier for everyone!
I am definitely not done in my fitness journey, nor am I an expert, but if I can help out even one person and make their fitness journey easier, I would be ecstatic.
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