You must have heard of foam massage rollers, but do you know the benefits of this accessory and how to use it effectively for recovery?
Massage rollers have become an essential item to facilitate recovery after sport. Why and how do we use them? This article will teach you everything you need to know!
Recovery is an essential component for athletes' progress. It must form an integral part of your training and become a habit to help your body regenerate and become more efficient. One of the ways to recover properly is through massage.
Sport recovery massages help you relax your muscles, reduce stiffness and restore a bit of flexibility to your muscles. It will also help improve the initial healing of micro-lesions of muscle fibres caused by effort by stimulating blood circulation and facilitating the elimination of toxins. All of this through proper recovery!
And that's not all. Depending on the localisation and type of massage, you can restore flexibility to the tendons, facilitate venous return and enjoy an analgesic effect to help reduce pain.
We all know that massaging yourself is difficult and this is where the massage roller comes in. It is the ideal accessory for self-massage - a precious ally for optimal recovery!
A massage roller is a foam roller with a density that is more or less firm and which can use your body weight for deep massaging. For example, you can place the massage roller under your back while you lie down and move backwards and forwards to roll in under your back. Similarly, if you want to massage your calves, thighs or glutes, just place the roller under the relevant area and roll it.
It is the weight of your body that puts the pressure on your muscles, ensuring a deep and relaxing massage. You can always start off gently and then increase the pressure.
If you feel an area of tension, a more painful point (also known as a trigger point), be sure to work it properly.
There are different lengths and diameters of roller with various degrees of firmness to suit everyone's needs:
- For a gentle massage, choose a roller with a smooth and comfortable foam.
- For a more intense massage, choose a roller with a firm and structured foam.
- For an even more effective massage, you need an electronic massage roller; the vibrations relax your muscles even more with less effort.
If you want a product you can take everywhere for training sessions and competitions, there are some really handy mini-rollers.
It is not always easy to know how to use a massage roller when you pick one up. Here are a few tips to help you with self-massaging:
Move backwards and forwards to pass the roller across the part of the body you wish to massage (back, thighs, calves etc.).
Use your massage roller on the floor or on a table.
For maximum effectiveness, you should spend 5 minutes massaging each group of muscles.
This video will show you how to use a hard massage roller and everything you can do with it:
Charlotte
As a sport enthusiast, I did dancing for a long time before discovering triathlon, which became a
real addiction right from my first race! I am a fan of Sprint and Olympic distances, and I like the
variety that this sport offers both in terms of its practice and the environment in which I can grow.
Triathlons offer interesting challenges to look forward to with pleasure as the key!