Are You Foam Rolling Correctly? 4 Tips to Boost Recovery and Avoid Injury

A good way to help your body grow accustomed to the sensations attributed to foam rolling is by first focusing on larger muscle groups. These areas can better dissipate the pressure felt across your device, leading to potentially less stress and strain that’s more approachable upon your first go-around.

Additionally, aim to focus on meatier areas like your thighs, quads and calves to get a feeling for foam rolling first, as bony areas or joints may lead to more pain and aches than desired.

2. Roll slow and steady

When you’re foam rolling, you’re putting pressure on your fascia to help activate those nerve endings while also squashing out any apparent stiffness. That pressure comes from your own bodyweight, and to create a free-flowing, consistent scale, it helps to go slow and steady.

Give each muscle group its fair share of attention by rolling at a slower pace. A good ballpark speed is to cover an inch of muscle area per second of foam rolling. Additionally, remember to move with the grain of your muscle structure, not against it.

So, for example, if you’re rolling out your quads, you want to roll from the back of your knee up to your hip, then back down. This can alleviate any potential aches and unwanted pain while still providing exceptional release opportunities to the targeted area.