The advantage of using the Cathe 18 inch (5.25 inch diameter) blue foam roller is that it is more portable than our 36 inch roller. Foam rollers are your best friend when it comes to releasing tight muscles, improving flexibility and increasing range-of-motion without reducing power. Plus, they help you stay free of injuries. Enjoy the benefits they offer!
What does a foam roller have to do with fitness? A lot! You may have seen someone rolling back and forth one of these cylindrical objects and wondered what the heck they're doing. They're doing a technique called self-myofascial release. It's a way to help your muscles recover after a workout and reduce the risk of injury.
Your muscles are covered with a thin layer of dense connective tissue called fascia, the same tissue that covers nerves and blood vessels. Fascia help to hold together and protect groups of muscles while still allowing them to move. The problem is muscle fascia can become too tight, usually as a result of overuse, injury or poor posture. When this happens, it can reduce blood flow to the muscle and cause muscle tension and tightness. That can lead to decreased performance during exercise and a greater risk of injury.
How does fascia become too tight? As you know, the stress of exercise causes microscopic muscle tears to form. This leads to low-grade muscle inflammation. Over time, this inflammation causes scar tissue and adhesions to develop, causing muscle tension and tightness. The goal of myofascial release is to break up this scar tissue, increase blood flow and release tension so the muscle can move fluidly again. Osteopathic physicians and physical therapists perform this technique on clients to help release tight muscles. In fact, the myofascial release has been around for more than 70 years. Fortunately, you can get some of the same benefits at home using a Cathe foam roller.
Features:
- LOOSEN TIGHT MUSCLES - Release tight muscles, improving flexibility and increasing range-of-motion without reducing power
- BREAK UP SCAR TISSUE - The Cathe foam roller uses myofascial release is to break up this scar tissue, increase blood flow and release tension so the muscle can move fluidly again
- TRIGGER POINTS - When using your Cathe Foam roller you're looking for "trigger points," areas that feel painful when the roller touches them. Once you've identified a trigger point, maintain pressure on that point for 30 to 60 seconds before continuing to roll back and forth. Maintaining tension activates neuromuscular receptors that help the muscle relax. Don't forget to breathe when you're rolling!
- RECOVER FROM CATHE LEG DAY - Cathe Foam rolling works well for tight hamstrings and quadriceps muscles. This especially true after a Cathe Leg Day! Tightness in these muscles can cause your form to be bad when doing squats. It's also effective for easing the discomfort of iliotibial band syndrome and painful shin splints that increase the risk of injury.
- GREAT FOR YOUR BACK MUSCLES - Foam rolling the muscles in your back, including the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids, helps to ease the back tightness some people experience after sitting in a chair all day.
