A beautiful and healthy body is always in fashion. Especially today: when slender and fit beauties look from the pages of glossy magazines, and on TV there is active promotion of a healthy lifestyle and calls for weight loss. To achieve your dream figure, you need to approach this issue comprehensively. Start by reviewing your diet, continue by introducing sports into your usual regimen. The load should be dosed and regular. You should properly combine cardio training with strength exercises, and you should also not forget about stretching. This type of exercise is necessary not only for building an ideal body, but also for health. Pilates roller exercises work well here .
Preliminary preparation
Before you start performing a set of exercises with a massage roller (foam roller) using the application, you will need, in fact, the equipment itself. Our little guide will help you decide which video is right for you. Here are some points to consider when choosing:
Massage roller hardness
Here rollers differ in three main types:
- Soft. Most often available in white. Suitable for beginners, as it puts less pressure on tense muscles and does not cause severe pain.
- Medium hardness. Blue or green. These rollers put more pressure on the muscles.
- Solid. Typically black. Made of dense synthetic foam, smooth and almost non-porous. Suitable for performing exercises with a roller for men - experienced athletes who need to strongly stretch their developed muscles.
However, colors may differ, so it is better to check the degree of hardness with the seller.
Size of massage roller (or massage roller, foam roller)
For the most part, massage rollers are about 15 centimeters in diameter. However, rollers range in length from 30 to 90 centimeters. The important thing here is to determine what you are going to knead when using a foam roller for massage. So, a 90-centimeter roller is suitable for your back - it is long enough so that you do not slip off it while performing exercises. But shorter rollers are suitable for arms and legs.
Company manufacturer
Foam rollers are produced by hundreds of brands around the world, but the most popular among athletes are models from BlackRoll, Myprotein, Roller Grip, StarFit and Reebok.
Price
Depends not only on the manufacturer, but also on the material. The cost of polyethylene massage rollers ranges from 400 to 900 rubles. However, ethyl vinyl acetate massage rollers are considered more durable. True, you will have to pay from 1,500 to 4,000 rubles for them.
Trigger Point brand
Trigger Point massage equipment is now widely known throughout the world, and the company, founded in 2002, occupies a leading position in the sports equipment market. The founder of the company and the creator of Trigger Point Therapy with Trigger Point Accessories, which has received recognition from rehabilitation therapists, athletic trainers and fitness professionals, Cassidy Phillips is a professional trainer, biomechanical specialist and former professional athlete. It was because of chronic pain that Phillips was forced to leave sports and not a single doctor could recommend him an effective treatment. Then he began studying the techniques and methods of massage of trigger points, and then, through long experiments, created equipment that allowed him not only to get rid of pain, but also to return to his previous sports lifestyle. Now his equipment and training methods help hundreds of people keep fit.
How to do foam roller exercises using the app
On the main page of the mobile program you will find 6 massage training sets, which include both exercises with a roller for women and men.
- Whole body
- Legs
- Back
- Core muscles
- Whole Body Strengthening
- Neck relaxation
Before choosing a workout, go to settings and add your weight and height data. This way the app will calculate how many calories you will burn doing exercise. It is worth noting here that a template calorie calculator is built into all applications from Fitify, so data on energy expended during training will be calculated even in this shell, designed for massage.
Rules for using foam roller
- do 2-3 workouts per week
- rolling lasts 2 minutes for each muscle group until pain appears
- If pain occurs, stop and rest for 20 seconds
- We work smoothly without sudden shocks
- rolling amplitude is 5-10 cm
- alternate exercises for the lower and upper parts of the body structure
- be sure to relax the muscles involved
- Carry out your workout in clothes that cover the areas subject to massage. Eliminate tightness in clothing around the chest and waist
- To avoid body discomfort, empty the intestines and bladder
- You can train in socks without shoes. Read how to choose sports shoes here.
Bodymaster.ru recommends Training Plans:
Next, indicate the time, from 5 to 60 minutes, during which you will perform exercises with the roller. Depending on the duration of the workout, the application will select a certain number of exercises for you. You can preview them by clicking the Preview button.
The training itself takes place in the format of a video lesson. The model shows how to use a fitness massage roller when doing exercises, and in addition, an electronic instructor guides your actions: it informs you when you are ready to start training, when you change sides, and when you complete the workout.
Once you've completed all the exercises, the app will tell you how much you did and how many calories you burned. Also, the workout progress bar will be pinned on the calendar by a specific date, so you can always see when and what you did. By the way, in order not to miss classes, we recommend setting up notifications for every day, and after a day without training.
You can also share a message about the completed exercises on social networks or instant messenger. Although this function is rather redundant - after all, why do your friends need to know that you just properly stretched your back?
In a separate tab in the menu you can see the entire list of exercises, each with a small video card.
What is a trigger point?
Pain points (English trigger point) are inflammation of connective internal tissues, which consists of muscle contraction and lack of oxygen in cells, which disrupts the functions of nerve nodes located in different places of muscle tissue.
Trigger point therapy originated in 1942 and began to be used by doctors and American researchers Janet Travell and David Simons, who, through in-depth research, found the sources of specific pain (muscle pain syndrome). With this syndrome, as it turned out, not only local point pain occurs, but also pain that radiates to other areas of the body.
It is useless to apply a stretching force to a muscle that has a trigger point, because when a stretching force is applied, it will only stretch where it is not injured - in those areas that have not undergone spasm. In order to restore functionality to trigger (damaged) muscle areas, it is necessary to apply mechanical force, such as massage. Pain points are the result of overload in sports, prolonged immobility of the body (sedentary professions), incorrect posture, which leads to overstrain of certain muscle groups and overload of joints.
It is important to note that the correct lifestyle is not only an active lifestyle and playing sports, but also timely contact with specialists when the first symptoms of pain occur. Unfortunately, there are often cases when people ignore the painful sensations that appear and, instead of identifying their cause at an early stage, simply take painkillers, which ultimately leads to chronic diseases. Therefore, it is very important to solve the problem as soon as it appears or to prevent it altogether by carrying out prevention.
Features of the paid version
In the basic version of the application, only 4 out of six complexes will be available to you. Exercises to relax the neck and massage the legs need to be purchased for 199 rubles. In addition, the paid version gives access to the function of creating individual workouts. Here you choose the duration of the workout, give it a name and fill it with the necessary exercises.
Most likely, this option is suitable for more experienced athletes who have already completed several training courses. In principle, the free version will be enough for beginners and intermediate athletes.
Types of massage rollers for fitness and yoga
Some uniquely designed foam rollers are used for massage or specific areas. Rollers with ridges, bumps, or points can provide a deeper massage even in small areas.
EVA Foam Roller
EVA foam rollers are more popular and suitable for moderate hardness and flexibility. EVA rollers offer a more comfortable surface that is warm to the touch. They will be more durable than polyethylene foam rollers.
Vibrating foam rollers
This foam roller is made by combining foam and vibration for a more effective massage and thus they will be one step ahead of regular foam rollers. The idea behind these vibrating foam rollers is to change the way we perceive pain. Check out the best duffel backpacks and bags.
Massage rollers 2 in 1
This roller uses a higher density but flexible hexagonal shape that covers more areas at once. These massage rollers can be especially useful for rolling less sensitive areas such as the upper back and back of the thighs.
They are filled with EVA foam for long-lasting self-therapy and are typically available in a 2-in-1 design, allowing you to spin it separately for two separate rollers. The Hexa foam roller is ideal for daily use and muscle relaxation.
Spike massage rollers
Spiked massage rollers are ideal for advanced users and athletes for daily relief of tight muscles. This roller targets deep knots, providing the most penetrating and intense massage with its firm yet flexible spikes
Grid rollers
The grid rollers feature a three-dimensional surface with varied widths to provide a deep massage. These rollers are not cheap if you use them regularly.
Mini massage rollers
Mini massage rollers are tiny rollers with a lot of spikes. Its surface is triangular and pointed, which is ideal for targeting trigger points and creating a deep massage sensation. They are useful for small muscle groups.
The use of foam roller is not recommended
- general severe malaise
- heat
- acute heart failure
- high (220/120) and low (90/50) blood pressure
- lesions and wounds on the skin
- for severe pain
- with hyperplasia
- frequent risk of bleeding
Now you have a complete understanding of the myofascial release method using a foam roller. Train yourself, share with friends on social media. networks. Subscribe to blog updates. In conclusion, a short video on the topic. Best regards, Sergei.
Main indications for use
Using a massage roller for the back is necessary to prevent spinal diseases. This will normalize muscle tone and maintain the spinal column in a physiologically correct position. No less effective are products for relieving pain and normalizing the condition of spinal curvature.
Doctors recommend dipping a cushion for stool or sleep when:
- hypertonicity of the back muscles;
- deformation of the vertebrae, their displacement, infringement;
- various types of spinal curvature;
- osteochondrosis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- back pain of various origins.
Neck bolsters are indicated in the following cases:
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- displaced or injured cervical vertebrae;
- chronic pain in the neck;
- dizziness;
- headache;
- insomnia.
A cushion should be placed under the lower back if there are problems with the lumbococcygeal region.
