So, What is the myofascial system? It's a thin silvery sheath of tissue that covers the outer surface of your muscles, including individual muscle fibers. While science hasn't completely figured out the fascia, they have figured out that the fascia and muscle can get stuck together (whether from prolonged inactivity, injury, or overuse) and when this occurs it can cause knots (aka "trigger points") that restrict movement, reduce flexibility and hamper muscle function.
Why is rolling important? Rolling releases the fascia from the muscle and stretches the muscle fibers and tendons, increases blood flow and circulation to the soft tissue, allowing your muscles to recover better and even perform better when rolled pre-workout.
Some key points to rolling out:
- Avoid bones and joins - keep the rolling on the muscle groups and soft tissue areas only
- Roll over each target area repeatedly - it's not just a "one and done" kind of thing
- If you find a painful area ("trigger point"), pause on that area for a few seconds to allow the tissue to soften
- Expect discomfort. Tenderness and bruising is common when you first start rolling (this is where the sadistic part comes in). As you get more familiar with rolling, you may even want to upgrade to a denser roller.
While there are many areas you can roll out, I'm including some of the key areas I've needed as a runner. If you want the full guide, there's a pdf download from Ashley Borden that lists many areas of focus for myofascial rolling.
Hamstrings are extremely important to us runners and if nothing else, this one exercise should at least be tried after a run.
While rolling may not be for everyone (because it isn't the most comfortable thing to inflict upon yourself), it is a great technique to adopt for injury prevention and to naturally improve muscle performance. There are a variety of rollers out there in a variety of firmness. While my gym has the black high density foam rollers like the one pictured, I'm considering getting something a bit softer until I'm used to rolling.
Images and info from the Ashley Borden "Rolling Out" Guide.