Is Foam Rolling even worth it? - Fit for Life, Physical Therapy

If you are active, go to the gym, or scroll through social media, you have probably seen someone rolling on a cylindrical tube of compressed foam, making funny yet painful faces. At its core, foam rolling is a form of self-massage or in more fancy terms, self myofascial release. You are not limited to a foam roller either; you can use massage sticks, lacrosse balls, barbells, PVC pipe, golf balls, and the list goes on.

For those of you who know me, have been treated by me, or have been unfortunate enough to have to listen to me, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of foam rolling. I first learned of foam rolling about 15 years ago when I read a blog post by Eric Cressey that discussed soft tissue quality. The article resonated with me so I purchased my first foam roller and would bring it to the gym with me because they were not trendy yet. Today, you can find foam rollers in every fitness center, gym, rehab office, and stores such as Target and Walmart. Since foam rolling is so mainstream now, it makes me wonder if people truly understand why they torturing themselves or if are they doing it just to be a part of the crowd.

So what exactly are the benefits of foam rolling? There is a plethora of research published on foam rolling, self-massage and self-myofascial release over the last decade. The evidence suggests that foam rolling helps to improve the range of motion after one bout, decreases delayed onset muscle soreness from exercise, improves recovery between training sessions, has positive effects on performance parameters, and decreases arthritic and non-arthritic joint pain.

When should we roll? There does not seem to be a wrong time to roll as long as you get it done. Rolling prior to activity is better suited for those looking for range of motion and performance benefits. If decreasing muscle soreness is your goal, you should aim for rolling and stretching after the activity but immediately following does not appear necessary.

Should rolling hurt? The unfortunate reality is yes, it does hurt and will continue to hurt but the hurt does not equal harm. The discomfort that you feel when rolling is due to tissue sensitivity so rolling the sensitized area will make you more aware of it. If you are consistent with foam rolling, the sensitivity will decrease and you will be able to relax your body more. I can’t promise foam rolling will ever be pain-free but it can become a very addicting therapeutic sensation when performed correctly.

Are there reasons why we should not roll? Well, that is a great question and one that was answered in 2021 when a group of really smart people came to a consensus (called a delphi study) on contraindications and cautions of foam rolling. The experts agreed that if you have open wounds or bone fractures, you should avoid foam rolling the region. They also suggested exercising caution if you have a deep vein thrombosis, local tissue inflammation, osteomyelitis, or myositis ossificans.

So there you have it, foam rolling is easy to perform, safe, and effective. There are too many positives to not roll but yet there are still many who think it is a waste of time. I am probably biased at this point but I have seen and felt the benefits of rolling on a consistent basis. Sprinkle in some flexibility or mobility training and you may even surprise yourself with how good you feel. I am interested to hear your thoughts on foam rolling.