THE FOAM ROLLER BIBLE

FOAM ROLLING
SELF MASSAGE, TRIGGER POINT THERAPY & STRETCHING

*Third Edition*
CHASE WILLIAMS
© 2016
 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means; including, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
 DISCLAIMER
This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should
regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any
symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book
was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability
to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors
or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOAM ROLLING

CHAPTER 2: THE MANY BENEFITS OF FOAM ROLLING

CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE?

CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE OF FOAM ROLLER

CHAPTER 5: THE EXERCISES

CHAPTER 6: WHY DOES IT HURT?

CHAPTER 7: TRIGGER POINT THERAPY

CHAPTER 8: FOAM ROLLING FOR RUNNERS

CHAPTER 9: INCORPORATING THE FOAM ROLLER INTO YOUR YOGA ROUTINE

CHAPTER 10: ROLLING BACK THE YEARS

CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
While foam rolling, the use of rolls of foam, has been around for quite a while; until recently it has
been seen mostly as a mysterious technique used by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists
to help increase mobility and overall muscle tone. These days, however, it can be found in gyms, in
use on television and in homes across the nation, with more people seeing the benefits of foam
rolling every day.

The problem is that, while most people have seen and heard of foam rolling, many still do not know
how to use it or what it is even supposed to do. Unless you have your very own therapist trained in
foam rolling techniques, or you are a professional athlete with a guru teaching you the methods and
benefits of foam rolling, you probably also have many questions pertaining to foam rolling, as well. I
assume that is the reason you are reading this book now.

That is the reason I wrote this book - to show the average Joe (or Jolene) the best possible methods
for foam rolling, right in your own home. You would probably pay a professional hundreds of dollars
for what you will learn in this book and even then they probably still won’t even teach you half of
what you will discover herein. Not only will you learn the best exercises for foam rolling, but you will
also learn what these exercises do, and why you should be using them.

I have tried my best to keep the language in this book easy to understand, and stayed away from the
more “specialty” words, such as medical jargon and technical terms. Where such words and
language are used, I have tried to explain them in an easy to understand manner. If you do come
across something in this book you simply cannot understand, I highly recommend you look it up
online to increase your knowledge and understanding.

To start off with, this book will introduce you to a brief history of the foam roller and how it came to be
such an integral part of many people's lives today. You will discover just why so many people seem
to be drawn to this simple foam rolling device and why so many athletes, coaches, and trainers are
beginning to incorporate it into their practice.

After you have gotten a handle on the basics, you will learn just what myofascial release is all about
and how it pertains to these rolling exercises. Although self-myofascial release may sound like so
much technical gobbledygook, you will find that (as it pertains to foam rolling) it is more or less just a
fancy way of saying “self-massage”. We’ll discuss what the fascia is and how it works, as well as
how to release fascial adhesions (or knots) so that you are not just doing the exercises but you know
why these exercises are helping you, which is always a plus.

If you are a runner, we’ve included a chapter about why foam rolling should be a vital part of your
running routine and why stretching exercises alone may not be enough, indeed they may even be
detrimental if you are stretching prior to running. By utilizing foam rolling, you can help keep your
ligaments and muscles from becoming stiff and rigid as well as minimizing trigger points that often
come from overworked muscles.

We’ll discuss trigger point therapy using the foam roller, in order to give you a more thorough
understanding of what trigger points are and why it is so important to your health to release those
trigger points. While this book doesn’t go into too much detail about trigger points, I have recently
written a book on the subject. This was due to feedback from the first edition of the foam roller book.
I have also tried to expand the trigger point area of this book in this edition, though I would
recommend reading “The Trigger Point Bible” in order to get a more thorough understanding of this
problem and the treatments available for it.
Another area we will touch upon in this book is incorporating foam rolling into your yoga routine. You
will find that by incorporating the foam roller into the many different yoga poses, you can achieve a
much better result than you would by simply doing the yoga poses by themselves. We will discuss
how to do this as well as give a few examples to get you started. Once you understand the basic
concepts of incorporating the foam roller into your routine, I have no doubt you will discover endless
ways you can use it to get the most out of every yoga session.

Toward the end of this book you will find how foam rolling can not only make you feel much better
and increase your mobility, but also aid in staving off many age-related ailments such as arthritis and
bursitis and other problems that are all-to-often chalked up to “just getting old”. We’ll discuss how
you can even reverse the effects of some ailment by rolling on a regular basis… effectively rolling
back the years.

I’ve also included a brief description of the many different foam rollers available to help you decided
on the one that is perfect for you (if you haven’t already bought one yourself). I do recommend,
however, that if you are just beginning in foam rolling you go with the softer more pliable foam
rollers. Once you have been rolling for a while, you can move on to the firmer (and often more
painful) rollers out there. If you are working with Trigger Points, it is often beneficial to use both a soft
roller for rolling out most trigger points and a firmer foam roller for getting the more intensive trigger
points released.

I highly recommend you read all the way through this book and don’t skip any of the earlier chapters,
as a background on the rollers and self-myofascial release will help tremendously in understanding
these exercises and how they can help you in different ways. You can, of course, choose to skip
over the brief history, but you may find it fascinating, or at the very least educational, so the next time
you are at the gym you can show off your above-average knowledge.

Even if you are not a professional athlete, you will find foam rolling can be of much benefit in your
daily workout. It can help you before and after exercises and even if you don’t exercise, you can still
gain many benefits from proper foam rolling. The key word here is “proper” as many people who
have tried foam rolling and have subsequently given it up were simply not doing it correctly and were
therefore not seeing any benefit.

Unfortunately many books, videos, and guides have been written with incorrect foam rolling
techniques that can actually do more harm than good. Rest assured, however, that the methods
provided in this book are tried and true methods, tested and approved by athletes, runners,
bodybuilders and trainers. The exercises presented herein are easily learned and mastered and you
will notice an immediate improvement in your muscle tone and joint range of motion.

Once you have mastered the foam roller, you can even take what you learned and help others to
incorporate the foam roller into their routine, and you will be equipped to not only know how to do
these exercises, but you can explain why these rolling techniques help and how they help. In other
words, once you have read through this book a few times and mastered the techniques herein, you
may consider yourself an expert on foam rolling. You may even want to start a class in your local
gym, helping others learn the awesome benefits to foam rolling.

It is my sincerest wishes that you find the information in this book to be as life changing as so many
have. I have written this book to help you change your life, through the power of self-myofascial
release, by increasing your circulation, range of motion and blood flow, you should not only increase
your mobility and feel better, but you will be adding years to your life and, not just years, but healthy
years. So without further ado… let us start learning about foam rolling and be on our way to a better
healthier life!
 CHAPTER 1: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOAM ROLLING
There have been major changes in the attitude toward injury prevention and treatment. Massage,
Muscle Activation (MAT), Active Release Therapy (ART) and other musculoskeletal therapies have
been getting much more attention as viable therapy for injured athletes. The isokinetic injury care of
the eighties has given way to more hands-on soft tissue care with physical therapists using “soft
tissue mobilization” (which is just a fancy way of saying “massage”) and Muscle Activation as a more
superior means of therapy and many chiropractors using Active Release Therapy to ease pain in the
lower back.

Basically, massages have become the “in thing” in order to help heal poor aching muscles, but the
problem with massages is that they are quite cost prohibitive. I mean, who doesn’t want a personal
massage therapist at their beck and call? But then, who can afford it, other than professional
athletes and the absurdly rich. That is where foam rollers come in. You could say foam rollers are the
poor man’s massage therapist.

Physical Therapist Mike Clark is credited with first exposing athletic and physical therapy
communities to the foam roller and to what he termed "self-myofascial release". Clarke, in his early
manuals, presented us with a means by which we can achieve a professional type of message
without having to pay hundreds of dollars, and best of all we can do it ourselves. His early manuals
included photos of techniques that one can use to achieve amazing results by using a simple foam
roller. The techniques were extremely simple and virtually self-explanatory. These first photos began
a trend that is now sweeping across the country and shows no sign of subsiding.

Clarke’s initial recommendation for foam rolling was not self-massage, but more of an ischemic
pressure technique. Basically, athletes were simply instructed to use the roller to apply pressure to
certain sensitive areas of the muscles, defined as trigger points. We’ll discuss trigger points more
thoroughly later, but suffice it to say by releasing trigger points through ischemic compression (which
is literally putting pressure on a point to stop the blood flow) and massage, one is able to achieve
relief of many conditions, due to the referred nature of trigger points (more on this later).

As massage fell out of favor, mostly due to the prohibitive costs, in the mid 1980’s, such techniques
as ultrasound and electrical stimulation became more popular, as trainers and therapists could use
these techniques to treat more athletes and clients easily and quickly. However, for elite athletes
such as track and field athletes and swimmers, a disdain for this modality approach and an attraction
to massage still existed.

Slowly, the idea that manipulating soft tissue helped athletes to stay healthier and to get healthier
faster caught on in the performance world. Suddenly, many athletes found the foam roller approach
to be best (and cheapest) method of achieving this soft tissue manipulation. Many athletes started
using the foam roller to soothe and smooth muscle tissue, rather than simply concentrating pressure
on their trigger points.

The use of foam rollers progressed from an acupressure type approach to a self-massage approach.
The roller is now used to apply longer more sweeping strokes to the long muscle groups in order to
loosen tight muscles and heal micro-tears, such that occur with regular high impact exercises.
 CHAPTER 2: THE MANY BENEFITS OF FOAM ROLLING
Foam rolling has many more benefits than most people are aware of. It goes way beyond simply
soothing tired and sore muscles (though this is one of the major benefits), to so many peripheral
health benefits, it might amaze you. In this chapter we will briefly cover some of the benefits you can
expect to achieve from a regular foam rolling routine. It is really quite hard (if not impossible) to list
all of the benefits you can expect to achieve, as there are quite literally too many benefits to count.
Not only are there so many benefits of foam rolling that several books could be written on just the
benefits alone, but science and health care professionals are finding new benefits just about every
day.

Many of the benefits listed here will also be covered throughout this book, but I felt it would be
prudent to let you know at the start what you are in for, if you decide to start foam rolling on a regular
basis. You might say, this chapter is simply a list of incentives for starting your foam rolling regime
and sticking to it. While many (if not most) people today know that foam rolling is a great way to
release tension and soothe sore muscles, this is really not enough incentive for most people to go
out and buy a foam roller and then spend time learning how to use it, and finally taking the time out
of their busy schedules to actually perform the exercises.

Once you’ve finished reading this chapter, you will understand (hopefully to a much greater depth)
why foam rolling is one of the most beneficial exercises (if you want to call it exercise) you can
possibly do for your body. You will find that foam rolling is a natural holistic approach to keeping
yourself healthy, improving your life drastically, and staving off many effects that come with aging.
You will realize that foam rolling may be the most important, life changing, decision you have ever
made.

INCREASED MOBILITY

One of the effects of aging seems to be a decrease in many people's mobility. That is to say,
activities that were once easy and pain free become more difficult as we age. We may find that
simply walking, bending and reaching become strenuous and (for some) even impossible. Many
people are convinced this is just a normal process of aging and that there is really nothing we can do
about. I have even heard some doctors tell their patients that their decreased mobility is simply them
“getting older” and it is part of life.

While there may be a slight decrease in our mobility as we hit our golden years, there is no reason
why we cannot perform the same tasks and functions as we did in our youth!

Most physical therapists, especially those who specialize in geriatric therapy, will agree that the main
cause of limited mobility in the elderly is due to joint inflammation and muscular degradation, as well
as gross myofascial adhesions throughout the body. As we will discover in this chapter, one of the
main benefits of foam rolling is an increase in the blood flow throughout the body. Many older and
elderly people may have poor circulation which causes the joints and ligaments to stiffen up, due to
improper lubrication and a decreased nutrient rich blood supply.

The good news is that foam rolling isn’t limited to young, healthy, vibrant individuals, but that anyone,
from 3 years old (perhaps younger) to 90 years old (perhaps even older) can benefit from foam
rolling. Unlike many conventional exercises and rehabilitation programs, foam rolling puts little to no
strain on the body and can be performed at your own leisure and at your own pace. You do not have
to be healthy in order to use a foam roller, but by using a foam roller you will find your health
dramatically increases.
Of course, an elderly person who has limited mobility and many adhesions and pains in his or her
body will want to approach foam rolling much slower than a healthy, young and vibrant individual.
But, even if you can hardly get out of bed, dress yourself, or perform even the most menial of tasks,
you can still benefit from foam rolling. As you start slowly, working on those muscles that seem to be
giving you the most problem, you will find your mobility generally improving to where you can move
on to other muscles and painful areas. Within a few weeks (possibly even less) you will suddenly
find that you are able to accomplish more with less strain and much less pain. Eventually, you will
find you are able to perform all of the exercises listed in this book without a problem, and you will
find your mobility has improved dramatically.

It should be noted, however (as I note throughout this book) that if you do have serious health
problems, you should consult your doctor or health practitioner before beginning any sort of exercise
regimen, including foam rolling. It should also be noted that not all therapist, doctors or other health
practitioners are familiar with foam rolling, and may discourage you from trying this as they feel it
may be too much of a strain or that it may be dangerous. It is up to you to either find a practitioner
who is familiar with foam rolling therapy or to educate your healthcare provider on foam rolling. A
good way of educating your health practitioner on foam rolling is to provide him or her with a copy of
this book!

Much research still has to be done, but in my own experience I have talked to many elderly people
who have found great benefits in foam rolling, some having exclaimed that after a few weeks of foam
rolling, they feel better than they ever did, even when they were young and vibrant. While not all
results will be this dramatic, I can guarantee you that foam rolling is by far the safest, gentlest and
most beneficial technique I have ever seen to helping increase mobility, not only in the elderly but in
anyone who suffers from decreased mobility. It is especially a very useful addition to any
rehabilitation program, in that it can be applied as gently or firmly as necessary, in order to massage
and loosen adhesions and improve circulation throughout the body.

PAIN THERAPY

Of course, as mentioned above, one of the major benefits of foam rolling is in easing pain in tired
and sore muscles, but the pain therapy of foam rolling goes way beyond this. Not only is foam rolling
highly beneficial to joint and muscle therapy, but it can also help ease or erase pains that often go
untreated for years, or are treated with pain medications that only cover the symptoms and never
actually treat them.

First, your muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints are constantly being pulled, stretched, and often
misused in ways that gradually break them down and cause them to “malfunction”. Arthritis, bursitis,
tendonitis and a host of other conditions occur with the misuse and mistreatment of muscles over a
prolonged period of time, causing pain in our later years and often limiting our mobility. By practicing
effective foam rolling techniques (which are presented later in this book) you can stave off these
conditions and possibly even reverse some of these conditions.

You may have already been aware of the effects foam rolling has on these areas of your body, but
did you know foam rolling has been shown to help things such as migraine and tension headaches
and many other pains that aren’t commonly associated with muscles, tendons and such? Most
headaches are tension headaches, caused by the incorrect position of your head and neck. When
your head is positioned incorrectly, it causes the muscles and tissues of the neck and head to
tighten. As the muscles and tissues compress, they pinch different nerves which can not only cause
pain in and of itself, (pinched nerves are often very painful) but also cut off vital blood flow, which can
cause less oxygen to reach the brain.

A daily foam rolling regimen, especially in the upper back and shoulders, can provide a very deep
and wonderful release to these nerves, by smoothing out the muscle and tissue and allowing you
proper balance of your head/neck. Many people have expressed surprise at how much foam rolling
has relieved their headaches, but headaches are not the only aches and pains foam rolling has been
shown to relieve.

Many people live with pain most of their lives and have become so used to the pain they often don’t
even notice it. I’m not talking about normal muscle aches and such, but internal pains and aches
within the body, brought about by poor circulation of the blood. I can’t even begin to tell you how
much internal pain is caused simply because our blood is not circulating properly, thus depriving vital
organs of oxygen rich blood needed to survive and function properly. From our kidneys, to our
liver...our hearts, our pancreas, even our very skin requires a healthy flow of blood/oxygen to
maintain maximum functions and durability. Once these organs begin to lose oxygen, they send out
signals to our brains telling us there is something wrong, which we interpret as pain.

The reason we have much of this reduced flow of oxygen to our vital organs (as well as joints and
tendons) is often due to adhesions in our fascia. We will learn much more about the fascia and how
myofascial release can be achieved easily through foam rolling, for now let me just say that the
fascia is the soft tissue surrounding our muscles that permeates the human body. It actually acts like
a buffer that surrounds almost all components of the body, helping it to maintain its integrity and
protect itself from injury. When irritated, the fascia will form adhesions which in turn limits circulation
in the underlying tissue, causing reduced blood flow throughout the body, also known as ischemia.

Ischemia, aside from direct injury, is one of the most primary causes of pain in our body. As we begin
a regular foam rolling routine, those adhesions begin to break up and our blood circulation returns to
normal. This, in turn, will provide the necessary oxygen (as well as other nutrients) to our bodies,
thus reducing (and often completely eliminating) many pains we didn’t even realize we had. I can’t
tell you how many times I have heard people say that they didn’t even realize how much pain they
were experiencing in their bodies until that pain was suddenly gone.

IMPROVED FUNCTIONS OF OUR VITAL ORGANS

Not only does increasing the blood circulation (by breaking up fascial adhesions) decrease and often
eliminate much pain, but our organs begin to operate at peak performance, doing the jobs at which
they are best. It may surprise you to know that most of the organs in the average person are not
functioning as well as they are supposed to, especially important organs such as the heart and
kidneys, which are vital not only to optimal health, but are vital to our very survival. I don’t have to tell
you how important it is that your heart continues to pump blood throughout your body, or how
important it is for your kidneys to continue to remove waste products from the blood and regulate the
water fluid levels. Nor should I need to tell you how important it is that your liver is functioning
properly to regulate the storage of glycogen, break down red blood cells, produce white blood cell
proteins and hormones as well as keeping the body clean of deadly toxins.

All of the functions listed above are contingent upon a healthy supply of oxygen and nutrients
supplied by the blood. When you have any sort of blockage, these organs are limited by what they
can do. By releasing fascial adhesions through foam rolling, you will improve that blood circulation,
ensuring that these vital organs get the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients so that they can
continue to function. It should go without saying that when your vital organs are operating at peak
performance, you will notice an improvement in your overall health. Many people have told me that,
while they expected that their mobility would be improved and possibly some aches and pains would
be alleviated, they were quite pleasantly surprised (and often shocked) by how much better they felt
overall after adhering to a regular foam rolling regimen. They were able to breathe easier, they had
more stamina, they could walk further without getting worn out, and they were able to sleep much
better. These are benefits of foam rolling directly related to the improvement of vital organs.

IMPROVED VITALITY
As your vital organs receive the proper flow of blood, your energy levels will naturally increase, due
to your body finally working the way it is supposed to. A healthy circulation is of utmost importance to
our overall health and vitality. Without proper circulation, we often suffer from low energy and are
unable to do things we want to do or need to do in our daily life, such as regularly exercising our
bodies, or even doing simple tasks such as walking, shopping, housecleaning and other things we
once were able to perform with little or no problem.

Often, due to improper circulation and reduced function of our vital organs, we find it hard to sleep.
We may wake up in the morning feeling as if we got little to no sleep, often looking forward to a nap
as soon as we open our eyes. We might go about our day, just dragging our feet… perhaps trying to
supplement our energy with caffeine, just to keep us active and moving. While some caffeine can be
beneficial in small amounts, it is absolutely not a good substitute for a healthy circulatory system and
a well-rested body.

One of the comments that I have heard from every single person who has decided to take up foam
rolling and have stuck to a regime for a couple of weeks is that they were surprised how energetic
they had become. Many have told me that they have been sleeping much better, often sleeping less
hours and feeling even more refreshed than ever before. Most have expressed how easy it is for
them to get up out of bed in the morning, where previously they wore out their snooze buttons on
their alarms clocks. They face the day with a new sense of purpose, an inner vitality that no amount
of caffeine or energy drinks could ever match.

The great thing about this new level of vitality is that you can use it to get your body into even better
shape. You now have the energy (and ambition) to exercise regularly, increasing your strength and
endurance. You may find that walking is not only easier now, but even more enjoyable. Your blood
oxygen level will go up even more through activities you may have avoided, and as this happens
your vitality will increase even more. In other words, you will find that simply starting a regular rolling
regimen may drastically increase your quality of life in ways you couldn’t even imagine.

REDUCTION OF CELLULITE

If all of the benefits listed above aren’t enough for you to jump off your gluteus maximus and get to
rolling, there is also a correlation between foam rolling and a reduction of cellulite!

In case you don’t know, cellulite is a condition that causes the skin to appear to have areas of
underlying fat deposits, which gives the skin a dimpled, lumpy appearance. It is most often noted on
the thighs, abdomen and buttocks. There are many different medical terms used to define cellulite,
such as adiposis edematosa, dermopanniculosis deformans or status protrusus cutis. You don’t
really need to know the medical terminology to recognize cellulite, which is also often called orange
peel syndrome or cottage cheese skin (which is much more descriptive than the medical terms).

There are many different treatments being sold to help you remove cellulite, which are pushed on
consumers in the form of creams or supplements. While some of these creams may, in fact, help to
lose some cellulite, many of these creams and supplements do very little to rid our bodies of cellulite
or to keep the cellulite off. As cellulite is more common with woman than with men, most of the
products are pushed on women, through women's magazines, women’s health sites and such.
There is actually no evidence that any of these creams are truly effective against cellulite and many
may actually be quite harmful. Most of these “cellulite creams” contain an ingredient called
“aminophylline” which causes the blood vessels to contract and narrow and forces water from the
skin. This actually can cause a reduction in blood circulation, which leads to many conditions
mentioned above.

While you could plop down a hundred dollars for some miracle cream that might (or might not) help
you to reduce your cellulite, but will more than likely leave you worse off, you will find that foam
rolling does the job quite nicely and not only does it help reduce (or completely eliminate) this
excessive cellulite, but it will keep it off indefinitely as long as you continue to roll.

While the actual cause of cellulite is still under investigation, many researchers agree that cellulite
can often occur due to changes in the metabolism, as well as shifts in fascial material and
inflammation of the underlying fascia.

Foam rolling has been shown to massage those areas and help to break up the interwoven fat fibers
that may contribute to cellulite build up. Rolling also increases the flow of blood (and oxygen) to
those areas which in turn helps to keep the underlying fibers healthy and functional as well as
helping your body to eliminate fluids and toxins. If you are like thousands of others with cellulite in
your thighs, abdomen or buttocks, within a few short weeks of foam rolling you will notice that this
cellulite seems to simply melt away, without any additional supplements or dangerous creams.

AND MUCH MORE

What I have listed in this short chapter on the benefits of foam rolling is barely scratching the
surface. From increased circulation come a plethora of benefits to the overall structure and
functioning of the human body. Our body relies on an unimpeded circulation, and when there are
adhesions and other blockages that cause poor circulation, our health suffers as a result. Foam
rolling benefits us by allowing us to break up many adhesions that are causing our body to struggle
to provide nutrients and oxygen to all of our organs, and many serious conditions can be found
rooted in this poor circulation.

Not only is our circulation improved and our vital organs receive the oxygen and nutrients they need,
but the muscles, tendons and joints are improved, increasing our mobility which increases the
amount of healthy activities we can comfortably participate in. Even the healthiest of athletes can
benefit tremendously through foam rolling, by increasing circulation, reducing inflammation and
keeping the muscles, tendons and entire kinetic system supple and healthy. But, if you are not one
of the healthiest athletes in the world, you can benefit even more through foam rolling!

I can go on for days telling you about all of the benefits I have heard from clients and friends who
have given foam rolling a try, but I think the best way to really understand these benefits is to
experience them for yourself. Foam rollers are not expensive, can be stored easily and are actually
pretty fun to use, once you get the hang of them. There’s really nothing that should be keeping you
from getting a foam roller and trying out the exercises listed herein. Once you have started rolling
regularly, and experience the benefits, you will wonder why you didn’t do this sooner. You will feel
better, sleep better, play better, exercise better and simply be full of health and vitality. I know it is
hard to believe such a simple thing as a tube of foam can have such amazing benefits, but don’t let
your doubt stop you from at least trying this out.

I should note here, that foam rolling is not something you want to do occasionally, then put it away in
the closet. Foam rolling, for maximum effectiveness and benefit, is something that should be done
every day. However, unlike strenuous exercise methods and high impact exercises that require
much willpower to continue, foam rolling is actually enjoyable and fun to do. Unlike most
conventional exercises (running, aerobics, treadmills, etc.), foam rolling doesn’t wear you out, but on
the contrary it is revitalizing. Self Myofascial Release (which we will get to in the next chapter) is like
going to a professional massage therapist, and who wouldn’t like a deep down body massage
everyday?

Therefore foam rolling, while requiring daily adherence, is actually an activity you will enjoy, looking
forward to doing it daily. And if all of the benefits listed here aren’t enough, foam rolling may even
help to slow (or in some cases reverse) the aging process! We will cover this aspect of foam rolling
more thoroughly in another chapter, but think of this: You will not only be healthier, sleep better, feel
better, be able to do more things and have more vitality - but you will live longer to do those things,
as well! How much more convincing do you really need to realize that foam rolling may be the best
thing that has ever come into your life?
 CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE?
Self-Myofascial Release is a self-massage technique where you apply pressure on different muscles
in order to release tension and improve range of movement and muscle performance.

“Myo” is the Greek word for Muscle and “Fascia” is a thin, tough, elastic type of connective tissue
that wraps most structures within the human body, including muscle.

Fascia is made up of collagen fibers tightly packed together in a parallel pattern and is ubiquitous in
your body linking your muscles together and providing support, stability and shape. Fascia resides in
a gel-like material, called “ground substance” or “extra fibrillar matrix” that provides cushioning.

The soft fascia tissue can become restricted due to overuse, which results in pain, muscle tension
and diminished blood flow. Although fascia and its corresponding muscle are the main targets of
myofascial release, other tissue may be addressed as well, including other connective tissue.

Self-myofascial release is simply the use of self-massage to release the tension in your myofascial
system. Self-Myofascial Release is also known as Self Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy or Self
Myofascial Trigger Point Release.

The exact phrase "myofascial release" was coined by Robert Ward, in the 1960s. Ward, along with
physical therapist John Barnes, are considered the two primary founders of Myofascial Release.

During strenuous exercises or activities such as lifting heavy things or poor posture or simply
overdoing it in the gym, the fascia experiences what is known as “micro-trauma” where your fascia
tissue becomes tougher and less flexible, due to your body’s own protective mechanism, much like
your skin will create a scar or scab to protect itself.

What ends up happening is that micro-tears in the fascia will form and if these tears don’t heal
properly, the fascia tissue ends up stuck together. This is a condition known as an “adhesion”. The
trauma also causes the ground substance to solidify, which makes it much less elastic. These
damaged areas in your myofascia are known as “Restricted Tissue Barriers” and/or Trigger Points.
As the fascia becomes tighter and develops adhesions, the underlying muscles movement will be
restricted which will result in reduced flexibility, reduced range of motion and muscle aches and
pains.

These fascial adhesions can also restrict your nerves and blood vessels, resulting in reduced
neuromuscular efficiency (that is the connection between your brain and muscles) and ischemic
(reduction in blood supply) issues. This will cause even greater pain due to the fascia adhesions
restricting your nerves.

So how does self-myofascial release work to heal this damage to your myofascia system? Basically
by using a foam roller you are able to put pressure on the sore and restricted tissue barriers. By
applying steady pressure, the tension will slowly be released, and your body will gradually be
restored to its normal state.

The sustained pressure brought about through self-myofascial release helps to break down the
adhesions in your fascia, which results in softer, more flexible, fascia tissue. This is what improves
your muscle flexibility and movement. It also helps you by taking pressure off of the nerves trapped
by adhesions, thus relieving pain and improving blood circulation to the soft tissues.
 CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE OF FOAM ROLLER
When foam rollers first came out, they were pretty much all the same, three foot pieces of white
foam 6-inches in diameter. If you sent someone out to buy you a foam roller, all you had to tell them
was you needed a foam roller and that is what they would get. There wasn’t any question about what
color or what length or how soft. There was no question of which one was the right one for you, but
this has changed. Now, if you google “foam roller” on the internet, you will get a plethora of colors,
textures, lengths and materials.

Getting the right foam roller, especially when first starting out, is important if you want to get the full
benefit of self-myofascial release. If you start out with the wrong roller, you may find it too painful to
use and may discontinue foam rolling before you discover the awesome benefits of its continuing
use. While it is true that foam rolling can (and in some cases should) be a little painful when first
starting out, usually the discomfort is only minor and lasts only for a few minutes.

Choose a standard, white foam roller if you are just starting out. This is usually 3 feet long and 6
inches in diameter. The white foam roller is the easiest and gentlest of the foam rollers and can be
used by just about anyone. White rollers are the softest, followed by blue or green rollers of medium
density and black foam rollers, which are the firmest. White foam rollers are often made of a piece of
polyethylene foam and they are the least dense, so they will allow some movement between the
muscles, bones and the roller. A white foam roller will produce less pressure and less pain.

After you have been foam rolling for a while, you might want to move onto a medium, lightly colored
foam roller for a medium amount of massage pressure. These foam rollers are usually blue or green
and are made from closed cell polyethylene foam or EVA foam. They provide a bit more resistance,
which in turn provides a more vigorous message.

Once you have become very experienced in foam rolling, you might want to consider a black foam
roller. Although most black foam rollers are also made of polyethylene foam, they are closed cell and
manufactured under high heat, making them smoother, denser and less porous. These will provide
you with much more resistance for a deeper message.

If you use your roller every day (which you should), you should also consider the denser black foam
roller or EVA roller, because they are much more durable. The white and colored foam rollers made
of polyethylene (open celled) materials can warp over time with repeated use. However, if you do
desire a softer foam roller, you can usually find a good brand guaranteed not to warp.

Besides the foam rollers listed above, there are even firmer, more advanced rollers available which
are good for those who have been foam rolling a while and desire a more solid, less resistant roller.
Though most people are fine with the black roller, some need that extra vigorous deep down body
message.

If you have been foam rolling for a good while, and find the foam just isn’t doing it for you, you might
think about trying “The Grid” roller. The Grid has a hard, hollow core which is wrapped in EVA foam,
which makes it firmer than traditional foam rollers. This roller is designed with proprietary
“Distrodensity” zones. The three dimensional surface has a variety of widths to replicate the feeling
of a massage therapist’s hands. The Grid also comes in the larger 26-inch length and is 5-inches in
diameter.

A step up from the Grid would be the Rumble Roller. This is definitely not your first choice for foam
rolling, as it can be very painful if you are not used to rolling. While the foam rollers listed above
simply compress your soft tissue, the Rumble Roller actually manipulates this tissue (like a vigorous
massage therapist might do). The surface of this roller contains specially designed bumps that are
firm, but flexible, much like the thumbs of a massage therapist. As you roll over the top of the
Rumble Roller, the bumps continuously knead the contours of your body, stretching the muscle and
fascia in multiple directions. This is excellent for getting into hamstrings and gastrocnemius muscles
that may be sore as well as helping to correct iliotibial band issues and piriformis pain.

Another thing you will need to decide on is the size of your foam roller. Most foam rollers are 6
inches in diameter (though some come in 5”). The length of the rollers, however, range from 12
inches to 36 inches. If you plan to use your roller on your back, a 26-inch to 36-inch foam roller
would probably be your best choice. The longer rollers allow you to roll with it at a right angle to your
back giving your back full support while you roll. The smaller, 12-inch roller is the best choice if you
plan on transporting your roller, as it is compact and easily transported, but it does not provide as
much support for your back. I recommend you purchase several different sizes of rollers, for different
rolling techniques, perhaps a small (12-inch) roller, a medium sized (18 to 20-inch roller) and a
longer (26 to 36-inch) roller.

Of course, another major decision to make when buying your first foam roller (or rollers) is how much
you want to spend on it. A standard 12 inch white foam roller will usually be the least expensive,
costing under $15.00. A black foam roller is considered a professional grade roller and might cost
upwards of $30.

EVA foam rollers are becoming much more popular these days. These are usually the green rollers
and are moderately firm with a more comfortable surface that is warm to the touch. They are much
more durable than polyethylene foam rollers but will cost you up to $45.

There are so many different brands, types, colors and varieties to choose from, you may find it hard
to decide on which is the best one for you. In order to make this a little easier on you, I’ve listed
below some of the most popular, which I feel are the best bet for quality and durability.

Perform Better Elite Molded Foam Rollers

The Perform Better Elite Molded Foam roller keeps its shape very well and provides a nice solid
surface to roll on. This is the most durable roller out there, in my opinion, especially for heavier
people (over 180 pounds). You can use this roller over and over without seeing any decrease in
quality. Most roller gurus agree, if you want a good firm roller that keeps its shape and will last a long
time, this is the best choice.

Foam Roller Plus

If you are looking for something that is a little less firm, you will want to go for the Foam Roller Plus.
The problem with most of the softer foam rollers is that they tend to flatten out over time, which
means you end up having to replace them more often. However, the Foam Roller Plus has a rigid
PVC core with a softer foam coating, which helps make it more comfortable while still retaining its
shape. It also has a removable washable neoprene cover which makes it ideal for those situations
where multiple people might use it.

EVA Foam Rollers

As mentioned above, EVA foam rollers are made of closed cell foam, and therefore keep their shape
much better than the open-celled soft polyethylene rollers. However, for heavier people (over 200
pounds) they tend to also get crushed after repeated use. Another downside is that they are a bit
more expensive than the standard Foam rollers.

The Grid Foam Roller

This foam roller is quite similar to the Foam Roller Plus in that it is a rigid PVC roll with a soft outer
cover. It is even the same price as the Foam Roller Plus. The only real difference as far as I can see
between The Grid and the Foam Roller Plus is that The Grid is slightly less resistant and the Foam
Roller plus has the removable neoprene cover.
 CHAPTER 5: THE EXERCISES
Now that we have learned what self-myofascial release is and how it works, what the different types
of foam rollers are and how they work and how to choose the best roller for you, it is time to learn
how to use the rollers for maximum benefit.

If you go through the internet, you will find a plethora of exercises available for foam rolling, some of
these are excellent and some of them - to be quite frank - are useless or, even worse, they may be
dangerous. If you’ve tried foam rolling on your own, you may have noticed little or no improvement,
or you may have experienced pain that caused you to turn away from foam rolling.

Of course, there will be some initial pain when you start your rolling regiment, but this is about the
same amount of pain you should feel from getting any deep message and should ease up as you
continue to smooth out and release the fascial material that causes your muscles to feel knotted up.

One of the main things you should keep in mind, especially when first starting out with foam rolling is
to take it slow and easy and use a soft pliable (white) roller, so as not to aggravate the tight muscles
and fascial adhesions even further. You should never hurry with any of these exercises, but go
slowly, stopping at any point where there is increased tension or pain, and slowly releasing any
trigger points.

This chapter lists all of the most effective exercises for each muscle group, from your neck to the
soles of your feet. You can do all of the exercises to get a total self-myofascial massage in one
session, or you can work on two or three muscle groups per session to start out. You should
especially focus on those muscles that may be giving you pain; but also remember that trigger points
often cause referred pain, which may make it seem as if one muscle group was in pain when it is
caused by a possibly adhesion in a totally different part of the body. We’ll talk more about this in
Chapter 7 (Trigger Point Therapy), but wanted to also mention it here, as often you may be
wondering why rolling a particular muscle group does not seem to be helping the soreness. This is
often due to a trigger point elsewhere, and may require you to be rolling (and applying ischemic
pressure) in a totally different area.

With this in mind, it is often a good idea to roll all muscle groups, in order to “discover” any
adhesions and treat any trigger points (see Chapter 7). You will also feel much better having given
yourself the royal treatment, easing away tension from muscles and smoothing the myofascia tissue
throughout your body. However, if you find it difficult to do more than two or three muscle groups at a
time, you should do what is comfortable, it may just be a need to rest for 10 minutes or so, just don’t
go beyond what is endurable and of course, before starting any kind of exercise regimen, it is always
advisable to talk to your doctor to be sure you’re up to it. More than likely, though, your doctor will be
more than enthusiastic about your self-myofascial release exercises.

Neck Muscles

Foam rolling on your neck will help to facilitate postural alignment and provide pain relief by focusing
on the tight spots within the neck muscles. You should be very careful to go slowly when treating any
neck pain or when first starting out, as overdoing it may cause strain to your neck and may even
cause injury. A few moments a day is really all you need to loosen those neck muscles.

If you are having serious stiffness in your neck or you are having problems turning your head or
moving your neck, you may want to see a doctor before doing any exercises having to do with your
neck muscles. If you have neck pain accompanied by headaches, dizziness, fatigue, arm pain, jaw
pain and/or shoulder pain, you could possibly have whiplash. Whiplash is caused by an abrupt
forward and/or backward jerking of the neck and head and can be very painful. If you try to roll on
your neck with a roller and you have whiplash you could further exacerbate the condition, so seeking
a professional is very important. The treatments for whiplash vary but usually involve some sort of
pain medication (ibuprofen or naproxen) gentle exercises, massages and in some cases injections
and traction. The doctor may also recommend massaging the neck muscles and fascial tissue after
the original sprain has had time to mend.

The following exercise is very good for trigger points around the neck muscles and many people
have found this exercise helps to ease a range of problems including headaches and lower back
pain (usually from referred pain). This exercise not only helps by releasing trigger points and
smoothing muscle, but it also helps by strengthening your neck muscles, as you will be placing most
of your weight on your neck. By strengthening your neck muscles, you will improve your posture,
which will help keep you free from many other muscle pains. You should be sure to not put too much
pressure on your neck, however, but only as much as is comfortable.

To start off you should lie flat on your back with the foam roller placed under your neck. Keep your
head up and lift your hips off the floor slowly until your weight is on your neck muscles. This is one
exercise where there really is very little rolling involved, but the object is to slowly move the neck
back and forth and side to side to find the tight or sensitive spots. When a tight spot is found, keep
the pressure on that spot until gradually it releases, usually around eight to ten minutes, then
gradually add pressure again until you feel no more pain, tenderness or tightness.

Once you have released most (or hopefully all) of the tight spots on the back of your neck, turn over
on your side and once again slowly lift your hips until most of your weight is on the side of your neck.
Be sure to only put as much pressure on your neck as is comfortable and if there is too much pain
stop immediately. Don’t do any rolling, just allow your neck to remain on the roller for a minute to
relieve knotted muscles and tension. Then turn over and do the same for the other side of your neck.

You can repeat this exercise as many times as you like, each time trying to feel for any tight spots or
any sore areas. Remember to slowly ease into the pressure point and keep the pressure for about
eight to ten seconds then release. If you do this exercise properly you should notice a greater
mobility in your neck and a greater improvement in your posture.

Upper Back

The upper back (or thoracic) area is an area that often holds tension. When we get stressed, we
tend to hold our breath which lifts the scapulae (shoulder blades), trapezius (upper part of the
shoulders) and neck. This tension leads to upper back pain, imbalance and poor posture.

Upper back pain, which is also often referred to as middle back pain is usually felt in the thoracic
vertebrae region. This is an area located between the bottom of the neck and the top of the lumbar
spine (the beginning of the lower back). The actual meaning of the word “thoracic” is “pertaining to
the chest”. The thoracic spine actually forms the back of the chest wall. It has much less mobility
than the cervical or lumbar spine and its main function is to protect the vital organs found in this
area, such as the heart or lungs. The thoracic or upper back is also necessary for helping us to
stand upright and keeping our balance and posture.

Pain felt in this area could be caused by anything from muscle strain to a collapsed vertebrae.
Though most pain in the upper back is simple strain it could also be a sign of a more serious
condition, such as spinal stenosis or hematomas. Other serious diseases that may cause problems
might be scoliosis, tumor(s) or a compression fracture. If you have a history of recent infection, a
temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and/or rapid or unexplained weight loss, along with
upper or middle back pain, you should seek medical attention. If accompanied by weakness or
partial paralysis, a recent fall or accident and/or loss of bowel or bladder control, you should
immediately seek emergency care.
You should also be aware that there are many trigger points found in the upper back, as the thoracic
vertebrae region is often subject to many improper positions and can easily develop fascial
adhesions over time. Normally, the adhesions formed in this area are due to a poor posture, such as
hunching one's shoulders while studying or reading. Playing sports or doing yard work, shoveling
and even gardening can put a strain on our upper backs and cause fascial adhesions (trigger points)
as well.

While performing the following upper back exercises, it is important to breathe deeply, as this will
help to increase the release desired as well as keeping you more relaxed. Deep breathing is
necessary to maintaining healthy oxygen flow to your muscles and is also necessary to keep your
brain healthy and focused.

To start this exercise, position the foam roller directly beneath your shoulder blades. Support your
head with your hands, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Gently start rolling the foam roller toward your head, using your feet to control your motion. Pause
the roller whenever you reach a tight or sore spot, and by using deep breathing, allow that spot to be
pressed down on the roller, using very small movements until the tension subsides. Continue rolling
up toward your neck, then pause and roll down until your reach the middle of your back. Continue
rolling up and down until you have rolled away all tension from your upper back.

I’ve seen many people that tend to rush through this exercise, thus limiting the effectiveness of the
foam roller. The best way to get the maximum mobility in the joints of the thoracic spine is through
slow purposeful motions, always stopping and easing into the pressure points. The main point is to
relax while rolling over the spine, while breathing nice deep breaths.

It may take some time, but eventually you will be able to guide the roller exactly where your tension
lies, by moving slowly up and down and slightly changing position from each side, so that each
portion of the fascia has been addressed and all adhesions have been released.

Lower Back

The lower back contains the lumbar spine, which is the third major region of the spine. The lumbar
spine is found directly below the thoracic spine. Our spine also contains joints, much like the joints in
our elbows, knees, wrists, etc. These joints are known as facet joints and help to make the spine
flexible, allowing us to bend. When these facet joints become tight, it becomes much harder for us to
do simple bending chores, such as bending over to pick something up, putting on our socks or tying
our shoes.

Lower back pain can have any number of causes, such as strained erector spinae (the paired lower
back muscles), nerve irritation (often caused by adhesions) and may also be a sign of intervertebral
disk degeneration. While most lower back pain is caused by muscle strain and fascial adhesions; if
you are experiencing chills and fever, weakness in the legs, a loss of control of bowel (or bladder or
sudden problems passing urine or having a bowel movement) and/or severe, continuous abdominal
pain along with the lower black you should seek medical attention immediately. If you are
experiencing serious lower back pains and have had a recent accident or fall, you should also seek
the advice of a doctor.

The Upper Back exercise above will also help relieve much of the strain on your lower back as well.
However, in order to touch on the smaller muscles in your lower back and get to the lumbar spine,
you will want to transition from the upper back to the lower back, by starting with the upper back
exercise, then slowly rolling toward your buttocks, holding pressure on any tight spots you may feel.

You should ease from side to side rolling from the middle of your back toward the hips then back up.
You should immediately feel a release in your lower back if you are doing this properly. If you are
feeling any kind of strain when doing this, you should try to reposition your hands toward your legs,
holding your thighs above the knees. This will take some pressure off of the back.

Don’t overdo the lower back exercise or you may end up stretching the muscles and straining them
rather than releasing them. Remember to stop at any spot that feels tight and allow yourself to sink
into the roller until the tightness has been released. As in the upper back rolling, you don’t want to
hurry this, but take your time and ease into the rolling. Some people find it very hard to roll their
lower back without straining. If you find it hard to roll your lower back without feeling strain or
tightness, you might try working on the hip flexors first, then try easing back into the lower back
rolling. Eventually, once you have loosened up the muscles and possibly released a few trigger
point, you will find it easier (and very beneficial) to roll the lower back/lumbar spine.

Upper Chest

The upper chest muscles are often overlooked by many foam roller enthusiasts, as it can be a bit
difficult to find the perfect position to roll out your “pecs” (short for pectorals), especially for many
women. If done correctly, however, it is quite easy to roll those pecs.

The pectoralis major muscle is found in the upper chest and stretches across the chest from
shoulder to breastbone on each side. There are also two minor pectoral muscles that are found
beneath the pectoralis major. These muscles are responsible for controlling the arm movement and
also play an important part in deep breathing, by pulling the ribcage away from the lungs, allowing
them to expand. Most injuries to the pectoralis muscles occur during bodybuilding exercises, such as
weight lifting, that place an enormous strain on the shoulders and chest.

Trigger points in the pectoralis major muscle often can produce pains that mimic a heart attack or
angina. Just as with a myocardial infarction (aka heart attack) the referred pain from pectoralis
trigger points can be felt in the chest, shoulder, down the arm and along the inside of the elbow. Of
course, it should go without saying, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should rule
out any possible arterial or heart conditions, by being seen by your doctor.

The pectoralis major muscle is also very important to proper posture and has an intimate
connectivity with many of the muscle groups around this region. Chronic tension in this muscle
causes many postural problems, such as the common sunken chest (with rounded shoulders)
posture. This may cause the trapezius muscles and the rhomboid muscles (in the upper back) to
stretch and the myofascia to tear and to develop fascial adhesions (trigger points). Tension might
also predispose a person to place his or her head in an unnatural forward position, which can cause
strain on the sternocleidomastoid (neck muscle that originates on the sternum and the clavicle),
causing them to form adhesions as well.

By releasing these trigger points and smoothing out the underlying myofascia, you are able to
correct these postural distortions and relieve many neck and upper back pain as well.

In order to roll the chest you will want to do one side at a time.

Lie face down with one arm stretched out, palm downward, away from the body at a 90 degree
angle. You will want the foam roller to rest directly under the armpit, to start out. Now, simply move in
the direction of your outstretched hand, slowly guiding the roller inward over your chest. A smaller
foam roller is ideal for this exercise, but if you don’t have a smaller one, you can use any size. As
you roll toward your solar plexus, you can move up and down with the roller to reach all those tight
pectoral muscles in your chest. Most men can roll the entire length of their chest, and simply switch
arms and return. Women, due to obvious anatomical differences in the chest may have to switch
sides, rolling on one side and then onto the other.
Small, slow movements are what really make a difference in this foam roller exercise, always
remembering to stop and ease into any pain, gently applying pressure until you feel that release.
You should always stop for at least eight to ten seconds on any painful area, slowly allowing the
pressure from the foam roller to break up and release any adhesions present. Don’t rush it (or any of
these exercises, for that matter) but do keep it slow and steady, allowing your muscle fibers to
release before continuing.

Hip Flexors

The Hip Flexors are a group of muscles that control the hip joint, allowing it to rotate and move the
knees upward. In actuality, there are quite a few muscles that work toward flexing the hip, but there
are two muscles specifically that are referred to as hip flexors. The Iliopsoas group of muscles
consists of the Psoas muscle and Iliacus. Both of these muscles are attached to the femur, with the
psoas muscle attached to the lower back and Iliacus attached to the hipbone.

Because the hip joint is extremely mobile, these muscles are highly susceptible to injury and
stiffness. Sitting for long periods of time without periods of stretching can cause the hip flexors to
become very tight and cause pain and stiffness. The reason for this stiffness and tightness is due to
the way the muscles are contracted when in a sitting position.

Hip flexor exercises can help to relieve this tension in both the hip and the buttocks, as the hip
flexors muscles are in close proximity to the gluteal muscles. Once you have performed this foam
rolling technique a few times, you should find it much easier to sit for longer period of times without
feeling that tensions in your back, hips and buttocks. However, it is strongly advised to those who do
have to sit for long period of times to stand up and stretch several times at regular intervals to keep
the hip flexors (and the gluteal muscles) from becoming stiff and sore in the first place.

Often hip flexor muscles can become strained and stretched through running and other high impact
exercises which cause the myofascia surrounding the muscle to be torn and may cause trigger
points which refers pain to the lower back, legs and other muscles in the body. Quite often this rolling
exercise will help your mobility in quite diverse areas of your body, simply by addressing the trigger
points often found in the hip flexor area.

There are actually two different exercises that are recommended with the roller to help to smooth out
and release the tension in your hip flexors. The first exercise helps you to release the gluteal
muscles and is performed by lying face up with the foam roller directly under one side of your
buttocks. Keep your legs straight and support you upper body with your elbows. Now slowly roll back
and forth over the foam roller, making sure to keep your hips and buttocks relaxed. Keep rolling for
about a minute, and then do the other side.

The next exercise is done in a similar way, except that you will lie on your side and rest your hip on
the roller. You will, again, be holding your body weight on your elbow as you slowly roll your hip up
and down over the foam roller for about a minute on each side. As you do these exercises be sure to
breathe slowly and make the rolls as smoothly as possible. At first it may be painful, but slowly as
you do the exercise, you should fill a release of tension in both your hip flexor muscles as well as
gluteal muscles.

As with all of these rolling exercises, be sure to stop on any pressure point, and slowly ease the
roller into the point, holding pressure for eight to ten seconds before releasing and repeating. This
will help to break up any possible trigger points.

Hip Adductor Muscles (Groin)

The adductor muscles of the hip are those muscles on the inside of your thigh, often referred to as
the groin muscles. This group of muscles, made up of the adductor brevis, adductor longus and the
adductor magnus, is responsible for bringing the legs together toward the center of the body. The
adductor muscles are instrumental in keeping the hip joint stable and are often used extensively in
dancing and many yoga poses. Simply walking, standing and stretching can often cause these
muscles to tighten up over time, and you will find by concentrating on this group of muscles, you will
not only achieve a higher range of motions in your hips and legs, but you will be able to stand and
walk with greater ease.

Tight groin muscles can seriously affect your performance in many different activities. If you’ve ever
suffered from a pulled groin, you will realize just how much we use this muscle group in almost every
activity, from walking to standing. A pulled groin is most often caused by overusing the groin muscles
or from poor conditioning or strengthening.

The adductor group consists of five muscles; The Pectineus, The Adductor Longus, The Gracilis,
The Adductor Brevis and the Adductor Magnus. This group of muscles works to pull the leg
downward and toward the midline of the body, to rotate the knee inward, dip the pelvis down and
forward and flex the knee at the hip joint. The basic function of all of these muscles is to keep your
legs and knees from buckling outward while carrying your weight. In other words, they restrain
abduction of the limb and control lateral shifting of the leg.

Trigger points in the adductor group can cause quite a bit of pain and weakness in the muscles
which may lead to improper movement, which in turn can cause trigger points in other parts of the
body. The pain you might feel from adhesions in the adductor groups depends largely on the actual
muscle that is affected.

For instance trigger points in the Adductor Longus or the Adductor Brevis will often refer pain in the
groin and might be felt in the knee and shin, whereas trigger points in the Pectineus will cause pain
in the area below the groin where the leg meets the body. Trigger points in the Gracilis muscle area
will often cause pain along the inner leg and if there are trigger points around the Adductor Magnus,
you will often feel pain inside the pelvis. Trigger points in the center of the Adductor Magnus muscle
will cause pain in the inner thigh, from the groin to just before the knees.

The trigger points on these muscles can cause the femoral artery, femoral vein and the saphenous
nerve to become entrapped, thus reducing the normal circulation of the blood in the lower
extremities which may lead to neurological problems. By utilizing the foam roller in the following
exercise, you can work the full range of the adductor muscles and release adhesions in this area
within a session or two, which can increase your mobility and decrease your chance of any possible
neurological problems later on.

To begin this exercise, place the foam roller parallel to the length of the body. While facing toward
the floor, propping yourself up with your elbows, bend one knee and place the foam roller directly
under the knee, on the inner thigh. Gently work the roller up and down the inner thigh, stopping at
any tight or uncomfortable spots, then work it out toward the knee and back in. After rolling several
times in this position, slowly extend your leg and continue to roll from the kneed to the inner groin
area and back out. Once you have worked out all of the tension on one side, switch to the other side
and repeat.

The best way I have found to do this exercise is by shifting my weight from one elbow to the other
while rolling up and down the inner thigh. Try to go as far inward as you can and roll all the way to
the knee joint. As you ease into, you will also want to allow more pressure on the roller by slowly
allowing your body to sink into the roller. Also, you should try to roll slightly from side to side in order
to really work all of the muscles in your groin area.

As with all of these exercises, when you feel a trigger point or a pressure point, slowly increase
pressure on that point for eight to ten second and release, in order to help break up the adhesion or
trigger points in that area.
IT Band

The Iliotibial (or IT) Band is a very strong, thick band of fascia running along the leg on the outside.
The IT band runs from the hip, along the thigh, attaching to the edge of the tibia (shin bone) just
below the knee. This band provides stability to the outside of the knee joint, working with the
quadriceps (thigh muscles) during movement.

The IT Band is not a muscle, but rather a fibrous tissue (fascia) that provides attachment for the
gluteus maximus and tensor fascia lata (for hip abduction) and provides stability for the knee. Fascia
lata is the name given to the deep fascia of the thigh. It is a strong muscle that covers the thigh. The
fascia lata forms a band from the iliac crest to the tibia, and it is this band that is known as the
iliotibial band.

The IT band moves in a forward and backward direction along the axis of the knee rotation which
makes it particularly prone to friction over the lateral epicondyle on the outer part of the knee. Often
through misuse and repeated stress, the bursa lying between the IT Band and the epicondyle
becomes inflamed due to this friction. The large trochanteric bursa (which acts as a cushion between
the iliotibial band and the greater trochanter) may also become inflamed when the iliotibial band is
tight. This is commonly referred to as “snapping hip syndrome”. This is particularly common in
runners, cyclists, and people who participate in aerobic activities. The IT band becomes irritated, due
to repeated use during running and other activities in which its stabilizer function comes into
constant play.

Snapping Hip Syndrome (or IT Band Syndrome) can be very painful, and is felt mostly on the outside
(lateral) of the knee and/or on the lower thigh. It is often most pronounced when climbing stairs and
rising from a sitting position. While foam rolling the IT band may be painful at first, especially in those
dealing with moderate to severe IT Band Syndrome, it is probably one of the most useful self-
myofascial exercises you will perform with the foam roller.

Begin by lying on your side, with the roller placed just below your hip. Bend the top leg in front of you
over your bottom leg, and place the foot of our top leg on the floor. This will help you maintain your
balance as well as allowing you to adjust how much weight is applied to the roller by placing more or
less weight on your foot.

If you want more pressure you can keep your top leg perpendicular to your bottom leg. This will
place much more pressure on the roller, so it may be much more painful.

Using your hands for support, roll from the hip down toward the knees, pausing whenever you reach
any tight or painful spots. Once you have reached just above the knee, roll back up toward the hip.
Do this two or three times until you have reached all of the tight spots, then turn on your other side
and repeat it.

Calf Muscle Exercise

The calf muscle group consists of the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle. These muscles
could gradually tighten when running and may end up becoming more painful over time, especially
when one neglects stretching or self-myofascial workouts before running.

If your calves are too tight, the muscles on the front of your thigh (quadriceps muscles) have to work
harder to extend your knee. This can overload the patellar tendon and lead to knee pain. Calf
muscle pain could also be attributed to a problem in the nerves or arteries in the lower leg or another
underlying medical condition. Usually this pain is nothing more than a grade one muscle strain or
trigger points, but it could also be indicative of a more serious condition, such as DVT (deep vein
thrombosis) which could be life threatening. If you are experiencing serious calf pain at night or pain
that makes it difficult to walk, you should see a medical practitioner to rule out any serious conditions
such as DVT.

To help loosen the calf and relieve tightness, start by placing the roller underneath your right calf with
your left leg, knee bent, placed to the side of the roller. Roll the calf muscle very slowly over the roller
from the ankle to just below the knee. When you encounter any tenderness or tightness in the
muscle, you should hold that position until you feel the tightness begin to t release. Keep rolling for
about a minute to a minute and an half and then do the same thing with your other leg.

If you need to apply more pressure, you can place one leg on the other. Or, conversely, to apply less
pressure roll both legs at once. Roll with your feet turned in and out and keep your toes flexed in
order to work the entire muscle group.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps are the group of muscles on the front of your thighs. There are four distinct muscles
that make up the quadriceps muscles; the vastus intermedius, the vastus medialis, the vastus
lateralis, and the rectus femoris.

When your quads (as they are often called) contract, they straighten your leg at the knee joint. Since
the quadriceps also extend over the kneecap (patella), the quads help to keep your kneecap in the
right position. Injury to the quad could result in a dislocated knee cap, and if you have arthritis the
quadriceps may stop working properly. This may result in a condition known as Patellofemoral
Stress syndrome, which is when the quads become unable to help the kneecap to keep its position.
Your quads might also be weakened in cases due to spinal cord injury or paresis (a condition caused
by stroke). Lower back pain may also cause a pinched nerve that might weaken the quadriceps.

While most quadriceps pain is caused by overuse or by a sports injury, as noted above, this pain can
also be indicative of a number of serious underlying medical conditions. If you are experiencing
ongoing cramps or “charley horses”, note a redness or swelling and the area is warm to the touch it
is advisable to seek medical advice to rule out a more serious condition. Most injuries and sprains to
the quadriceps rated as grade 1 injury, however, and can easily be relieved with the following roller
exercise.

Note, a grade 1 injury is a mild sprain wherein the fibers of the muscle or fascia is stretched causing
some tenderness and swelling. Grade 2 injuries cause some tearing of fibers as well as loss of
strength, mobility and some swelling. Grade 3 injuries are those injuries where the muscle is
completely ruptured and caused intense pain, swelling, redness and/or discoloration. In most cases
if your injury is grade 2 or 3, you should seek medical help, as foam rolling may exacerbate these
types of injuries.

Your quadriceps help you straighten your knees, which is especially essential when rising from a
sitting position. They are also a major muscle group responsible for walking up and down stairs as
well as being essential for walking and running, jumping and squatting. A weakness in the quads
may result in an inability to keep ones balance as well as the inability to walk straight, or normal.

As mentioned at the start of this section there are actually four muscles that make up what we
commonly call the Quads. The muscles working in conjunction with one another allows us the wide
range of motion that allows us to perform the preceding activities (walking, jumping, squatting, etc).
The following is a brief breakdown of these four muscles:

Rectus femoris

The rectus femoris is found in the middle of the thigh and covers the other three quadriceps
muscles. This muscle originates from the ilium and is named because of its straight course. The
rectus femoris muscle is connected to the hip, and aids in raising and extending the knee. This is the
only muscle that can actually flex the hip.

Vastus lateralis

The vastus lateralis is on the lateral side of the femur (the outer thigh). This muscle is the largest in
the quadricep muscle group and is used to extend the lower leg, allowing the body to rise up from a
squatting position. The top of the vastus lateralis is attached to the femur and the bottom is attached
to the patella (kneecap).

Vastus medialis

The vastus medialis is on the medial side of the femur (the inner thigh) and is the most medial
(inner) of the quadricep muscles. The Vastus medialis extends along the entire length of the thigh.
The part right above the knee is known as the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) and is used to extend
the leg and stabilize the patella (or kneecap). This muscle will not become fully strengthened unless
the leg is regularly extended and therefore is a common center for muscle weakness. By performing
the following exercise, you are able to fully extend this muscle while releasing fascial adhesions and
strengthening muscle.

Vastus intermedius

The vastus intermedius lies between vastus lateralis and vastus medialis at the front of (or on top of)
the thigh. This muscle covers the front and side of the femur (aka the thigh bone) and is directly
beneath (and ending at) the rectus femoris muscle. The Vastus intermedius is also very closely
related to the vastus medialis, often appearing attached to that muscle.

Because of its location in the quadriceps it is very hard to stretch the Vastus intermedius, as typical
hip extension exercises are useless and massage therapy is unable to reach this muscle. If you
strain the vastus intermedius muscle, you may require surgery to repair the damage or you may
require a special exercise work out the strain. While foam rolling may not have any direct impact on
the vastus intermedius, by breaking up myofascial adhesions in the surrounding tissue this muscle
can benefit by increased circulation, aiding in healing of any underlying sprains or strains.

All four parts of the quadriceps muscle insert into the tibial tuberosity of the tibia via the patella. The
quadriceps becomes the patellar ligament once entering the tibial tuberosity, which then attaches to
the tibia.

There is actually a fifth muscle in the quadriceps that is often overlooked and hardly ever taught
called the articularis genus. The articularis genus is a small muscle arising from the anterior surface
of the femur which is usually distinct from the Vastus intermedius, but often blended with it. The
Articularis genus is inserted into the upper part of the knee-joint. The form and function of this
muscle are not very well understood, but it is thought to help in elevating and retracting the
suprapatellar bursa which prevents entrapment in the capsule during knee extension.

Luckily keeping your quads released and conditioned is one of the easiest foam roller exercises, and
the results can help keep your knees and legs healthy over a much longer period of time.

Simply place the roller under the thigh, right below the hip and, using your hands to balance you,
start rolling from the hip down to the knee and back up again. Do this several time for both thighs.
Stop rolling whenever a particularly tight or painful area is noticed and allow pressure on the area for
eight to ten second, releasing and repeating until any trigger point present is released.

If you need more pressure, you can roll both legs on the roller and place your body in a position as if
you were ready to do some pushups, in this manner you can apply as much pressure (by focusing
your weight on the roller) as you want. If you want less pressure, just keep one leg off the roller,
using the foot to support some of your body weight.

Glutes and Hamstrings

Sitting for long periods of time may lead to the gluteal muscles (Glutes) atrophying through constant
pressure and disuse. This could result in lower back pain as well as difficulty with movements, such
as standing from a sitting position and climbing stairs, activities which naturally require the gluteal
muscles.

The hamstring muscle group consists of three separate muscles; the semitendinosus,
semimembranosus and biceps femoris. Hamstring strains most commonly occur in the biceps
femoris muscle (at the point where the muscle joins the tendon), but might also occur higher in the
semimembranosus muscle. During sprinting the first type of strain is more likely to occur, while the
latter is usually due to stretching.

Sprinting related hamstring injuries often feel worse but recover more quickly, whereas stretch
related hamstring strains can take longer to heal due the fact that the injury is more likely to the
tendon.

If you have ever pulled a hamstring, you know how painful this can be and how long it takes a pulled
hamstring muscle to heal. This exercise is essential to keep your hamstring muscles from getting
tight in the first place, which is the primary cause of all hamstring injury. Often, when the hamstring
and glutes become injured (such as through strain or sprain) the muscles will contract, which makes
the hamstrings feel tight and painful. An ordinary reaction to a tight or painful muscle is stretching.
However, stretching these muscles can cause further exacerbation of the hamstrings and instead of
providing relief may simply reinjure or cause greater injury. Using a foam roller, instead of trying to
stretch our muscles, will aid greatly in relieving much of the pressure in this area, and will allow for
greater circulation to the hamstring areas, thus allowing our nutrient rich blood to get to these
muscles and begin healing them.

There are several factors that may predispose you to hamstring pain including age, joint dysfunction,
previous injuries to the hamstring and (of course) myofascial trigger points (which decrease flexibility
and may increase motor firing of the muscle. Several studies have shown that athletes over the age
of 23 are four times as likely to sustain a hamstring strain those under this age group. This includes
hamstring injuries as well as strains and sprains to the hamstring and glute muscles. Runners and
other professional athletes (especially those who spring) are more likely to develop issues as they
grow older, but even those who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle will find it easier to “pull a muscle”
as they age.

This exercise will loosen both your hamstrings and your glutes, simultaneously while releasing those
trigger points that have come to be associated with decreased function of the hamstring and gluteus
maximus.

You will start this exercise by sitting on the roller with the soft, meaty part of your buttock directly on
top of the roller. Slowly roll back and forth with a slight side to side movement to release the tight
spots, starting from the top of your buttocks slowly rolling down the back of your legs toward your
knee, while working the hamstrings. As you work downwards stop whenever you feel a tight or sore
spot, and maintain a steady pressure on that area for approximately 10 minutes, releasing and
repeating until the tightness or soreness has been alleviated. You can increase or decrease the
pressure by using only one leg, or using both legs at the same time. Roll with your feet turned in and
out to cover the entire muscle group.

Soles of the Feet

The American College of Sports and Medicine estimates that the average adult takes between 5,000
and 10,000 steps per day. Most of this activity is borne by the muscles and ligaments of the foot.

Arch pain is most commonly felt as discomfort under the long arch of the foot. It can vary in severity,
and can be characterized by pain in the arch of the foot on weight bearing after rest or gradual onset
during the day. The structure most often involved is the plantar fascia, the band of tissue that
supports the arch of the foot.

The plantar fascia ligament is located along the sole of your foot. This ligament is made of up fascia
that stretch from the calcaneus (heel bone) and branches out across the arch through the ball of the
foot toward the metatarsals (the base of the toes). There are many layers of muscles, nerves and
blood vessels that run across the soles of your feet. The plantar fascia covers these layers, acting as
a bowstring on the bottom of the foot, this in turn helps the food bones maintain an healthy arch. You
could say that the plantar fascia is what gives you the bounce and spring in your normal daily
activities.

In the case of Plantar Fasciitis, the plantar fascia is stretched more than it should be which ends up
resulting in small tears in the fascia. Every time you flex your foot, those tendons, ligaments, and
tissue move and when they are inflamed, every movement hurts. Often, many people think simply
soaking their feet will relieve the pain, but in reality this is only a temporary relief as the adhesions
(or tears) will continue to build up and cause increased pain in the foot.

Often, people who have plantar fasciitis will experience pain in the foot and heel upon awaking and
after taking their first few steps (or upon standing after sitting for a long period of time). They may
have less pain after a few steps, but the foot will start to be more painful as the day goes on. This
pain is most pronounced when standing for a long period of time or climbing stairs. Plantar fasciitis is
most common in runners but also frequently found in those who are overweight and from shoes that
offer inadequate support of the arches and other parts of the feet.

On the other hand, if you experience foot pain while trying to sleep or when sitting or lying down,
there is a good bet you have some other problem such as arthritis or tarsal tunnel syndrome (which
is the foot’s counterpart to carpal tunnel syndrome). If you are experiencing this type of pain, I highly
advise you to check with your doctor to rule out any underlying condition which may need to be
treated. Your doctor will usually do a physical examination of your feet, as well as asking you to
stand and walk so he or she can determine possible causes for this pain. Your doctor may also order
X-rays if he or she suspects that the problem may arise from a possible bone condition (such as
stress fracture).

Luckily there is a quick and easy remedy to help keep your muscles and tendons free of stress and
strain, thus staving off any serious condition that may develop in and around the plantar fasciitis.
There are actually several different ways you can use your foam roller to relieve foot stress and keep
your feet healthy and happy.

One of the simplest and easiest ways is to sit down on a comfortable chair, with the roller beneath
your feet. Starting from the middle of the foot, slowly roll your foot up toward the toes, stopping just
before you reach your toes, then roll back toward the heel. Continue to work back and forth and
moving slightly from side to side on each foot several times. You should immediately feel much of
the strain on your feet ease up. Whenever you roll across a tight or very sore spot on your foot, be
sure to keep the pressure at that point for eight to ten seconds and then release and repeat until the
soreness has dissipated.

Another rolling method is to perform the same exercise as stipulated above, but do it from a standing
position while using something to steady yourself. This will allow you apply greater pressure to the
underlying fascia to relieve any serious myofascial adhesions. You can do this with one foot at a time
or both feet, but be very cautious to have something to hold onto, and only try this if you have a good
sense of balance as it is very easy to fall right on your Gluteus Maximus.

Incorporating your own roller exercises

I have tried to incorporate all of the major muscle groups in the above set of exercises, as well as the
very best rolling techniques available. However, not everyone is built the same, and some of these
exercises may not work as well for some as for others. You may also discover a new technique while
working on the techniques listed here, whereby you gain an even greater release of certain muscle
groups. I would encourage you to not feel you are confined to this set of exercises but allow yourself
the freedom to explore your own body’s reaction to the foam roller.

While, it is important to remember a few key points, if you are going to incorporate your own
exercises; for the most part the most important thing to keep in mind is that you should always ease
into any pain, and you should go slow and gentle while gradually working up pressure. If you feel
any stretching or straining of any muscle, you should discontinue, or try to move the roller around
until you can ease the muscle without straining it.

While we are dealing, mostly, with myofascial release, it should be noted that many of the roller
exercises discussed herein are also stretching exercises (or can incorporate stretching). I highly
advise doing the self-myofacial exercises on any muscle group before beginning any stretching. By
releasing the knots and adhesions, you allow those muscles to stretch freely and greatly reduce any
possible strain on those muscles.

That said, feel free to experiment with the roller. As long as you follow the basic points listed above,
you really can’t hurt yourself. On the other hand, there are some parts of your body that are much
more susceptible to strain than others, such as the lower back, and if you don’t pay careful attention
to strain or pain, you could injure yourself. Key rule: If you feel like you're straining, then you’re doing
it wrong, and if you are experiencing a high amount of pain, you are going too fast and you need to
ease into it.

Regardless of whether you use these exercises, your own exercises or a combination of both, you
will want to pay close attention to any localized areas of pain or pressure, especially when this pain
is radiating out from a central point. This usually is due to a myofascial adhesion causing a trigger
point. Whenever you come across one of these trigger points (which we will cover more thoroughly
in chapter 7) you should always stop the roller directly over the point and apply steady pressure to
the area for eight to ten seconds, then release and repeat until the tension, pain or soreness is
alleviated.

As has been mentioned before, if you experience any sharp pain that seems to get worse with
rolling, you should discontinue rolling and seek a professional, especially if this is an ongoing pain
that lasts more than a few days. This kind of pain is often indicative of a more serious condition,
such as a fracture or torn ligament which may be further exacerbated by rolling.
 CHAPTER 6: WHY DOES IT HURT?
One of the most common questions I am asked by people just getting started in foam rolling is, “Why
does it hurt?” or “Is it supposed to hurt this much?”. The answer to this question depends on how
much pain we are talking about. Some pain is to be expected, as you are not only breaking up
fascial adhesions and releasing problematic trigger points but often you will be loosening and
releasing tight muscles and joints. If you want an example of what we are talking about, make a fist
and hold it for about two minutes, tight as you can. Then slowly release your fist. You will notice that
this is a bit painful when you release your fist. Your fascial material, muscles, joints and tendons are
much like your tightened fist, especially if they have been in a contracted position for a long period of
time, so when you first start rolling, there will be that same type of pain or discomfort you felt when
releasing your fist.

There is no cause for alarm, as this is normal and the more you release your tight muscles and
joints, the less pain you will feel over time. The first few times, however, will more than likely result in
some discomfort and pain. It should be stressed however, that this pain should be only minor and if
you are feeling a great deal of pain, you may have a sprain or strain that should be treated by a
doctor or therapist before you continue your foam rolling routine.

How much pain is too much pain?

If it is almost bringing tears to your eyes, then it is probably too much pain. It shouldn’t be so painful
that you can hardly take it, but rather a minor pain, such as you would experience unclenching your
fist after holding it tight for a couple of minutes. Each person experiences pain differently and what
may seem extremely painful to one person might seem only minor to another. Therefore, it is really
hard to exactly pinpoint how much pain is too much pain. If you can get through your rolling session,
with some pain, then you should be okay, but if it is just too painful to continue you might seek
medical advice. Once you roll on a regular basis, the pain and discomfort should dissipate to where
you are feeling only a release with very little pain or (ideally) no pain at all.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are not doing the exercises outlined in this book properly,
there is a chance you may actually pull a muscle or sprain something, which is why it is very
important to do these exercises exactly as outlined. Don’t try to improvise, at least not until you have
gotten the hang of it and can do so safely (by gauging the amount of strain on your joints and
muscles) and you should try to stay away from the overwhelming amount of rolling exercises and
programs found online, as many of these exercises can actually cause more harm than good. Our
exercises in this book are tried and proven and are should cause no strain or stress on key muscle
groups.

If you’ve ever received a massage from a professional massage therapist, you will know that there is
going to be some pain involved when releasing tight muscles, but after a while that pain will
eventually subside and be replaced with a feeling of great release and relaxation. It should be the
same thing with self-myofascial release. There will be an initial pain as your muscles loosen, but it
shouldn’t last more than one or two session, after which you will feel only the soothing release of any
tight muscles.

Remember, however, self-myofascial release is about smoothing the fascia and breaking up any
fascial adhesions. Whenever you roll across a particularly troublesome fascial adhesion, there will
be a totally different kind of pain. It will usually cause a muscle spasm or a referred pain in another
part of the body. These are commonly referred to as trigger points and foam rolling is one of the best
trigger point therapies out there. We’ll talk more about trigger points in the next chapter, but I felt it
prudent to point out in this chapter that trigger point pain is quite different from the pains we have
covered in this chapter. When you roll across a trigger point, you will feel an area of pain, usually
quite small. You will definitely know you’ve hit a trigger point when you feel pain elsewhere whenever
you roll over that point.

Referred pain can be quite interesting, and unexpected. For instance, you may be rolling your back
and hit a trigger point that causes you to suddenly get a headache. As you roll the adhesion away
(covered in the next chapter) you may find the cause of your past headaches was a myofascial
adhesion. You may find your headaches suddenly vanish. This actually happens more often than
you may be aware of. Many people who foam roll are not really aware of trigger points or how to “roll
with them” to get maximum benefit from their rolling sessions. Often, a person untrained in rolling will
simply ease pressure when hitting a trigger point and then continue with his/her rolling, ignoring that
painful pressure point. The worst thing you can do is ignore trigger points, as trigger points may
cause many side effects and even affect your energy level and ability to focus.

In closing, I’d like to stress once more, if there is extreme pain in any of your joints or muscles, you
should immediately consult a doctor or therapist to determine if there is any underlying damage,
before continuing with foam rolling. Even though foam rolling is one of the safest methods of
releasing tight muscles and reducing painful inflammation that comes from rigorous exercise, if there
is torn ligaments or other problems, it could further damage the tissue by applying pressure to the
affected area, so please see your doctor if you experience excruciating pain while rolling, or if your
pain does not go away within a couple of sessions, as this could be an indication of a more serious
problem.
 CHAPTER 7: TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
One of the main reasons you might feel pain during your rolling session is due to something called a
“trigger point”. Myofascial trigger points are aggravated spots in fascia tissue with substantial
swellings in small bands of muscle fibers. There is little actual scientific or medical research to date
on trigger points and therefore some disagreement within the medical community on how to treat
myofascial trigger point pain, or even the cause of such pain.

In their medical textbook, “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual”, Drs. Janet
Travell and David Simons define trigger points as tiny contraction knots that develop in the muscle
due to overwork or injury.

The actual muscle fiber that is doing all of this contracting is called the sarcomere, a microscopic unit
in the muscle. When the two parts of sarcomere come together to interlock it causes an extremely
minute contraction. If a million sarcomere interlocked in your muscle, it might cause a slight twitch.

Normally, sarcomeres act as pumps in the body, as the muscle works these microscopic fibers
contract and relax to help in blood circulation. Trigger points occur when overstimulated sarcomeres
are unable to release from an interlocked state. This in turn causes the muscles to become starved
for oxygen while the buildup of metabolisms irritate the trigger point. This in turn causes the trigger
point to send out pain signals to the brain through the muscle fibers being affected.

The problem with these signals is that with trigger point we have referred pain, which we have
already briefly touched on. Referred pain basically means that trigger points will send their pain to
some other site, so that we may have pains in other parts of our bodies and, instead of actually
paying attention to the trigger site, we try to treat that area of the body. A trigger point can cause
headaches, neck pain, lower back pain, jaw pain and may be mistaken as tennis elbow or Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome. The trigger point might also be the source of pain in areas of the body that may
be misdiagnosed as arthritis, tendinitis or bursitis.

A trigger point may be found in the upper back that, when pressed, may cause referred pain in the
neck, whereupon the neck may act as a satellite trigger point, further causing pain in the head or
eyes. This pain may be a sharp pain or it may be dull and throbbing.

The trigger point model says that unexplained pain usually radiate from small local tenderness
outward toward the broader areas which may, in fact, be quite distant from the original trigger point.
Many therapists have found that certain patterns of pain can be attributed to and traced to certain
trigger points in disparate locations about the body. When the trigger point is pressed (or
compressed) local tenderness, referred pain or twitching will usually be the response. It should be
noted that this twitching is not to be confused with spasms, where a muscle spasm effect a larger
group of muscles, the twitching will be small localized around the actual trigger point.

The actual term “trigger point” did not come into use until 1942, when Dr. Janet Travell used this
term to describe certain clinical findings that had the following criteria:

• The pain cannot be explained by traditional exploration and neurological examination.

• The pain is related to a point in the fascia, discrete and not caused by any local trauma, infection,
degeneration, etc.

• The point can be seen and felt as a nodule or band in the muscle and upon stimulation will cause a
twitch response.
• The pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle where the trigger point is found

The problem with trigger points is that medical doctors, physicians and practitioners, as well as
actual physical therapists are not always aware of the trigger point and may treat pain as another
possible condition, or may treat the referred pain, due to the very limited understand of myofascial
trigger points today. The good news, however, is that the medical community is starting to become
more aware and thankfully many people are learning not only the source of their pain, but the
awesome power the foam roller has in relieving trigger points and reducing the pain felt due to these
trigger points.

If you go through the exercises in this book, you will often find that there will be very sore spots on
your muscles that make the rolling seem more painful than in other places. The trick with myofascial
trigger points is in finding the trigger point and focusing on that trigger point with the roller by
applying a steady pressure for eight to ten seconds, releasing the pressure then reapplying the
pressure. You will know you’ve found a trigger point when you feel pain radiating outward from that
point, especially in whole muscle groups, simply by pushing on that single point. You will also notice
the point is harder, often with a lump or a knot.

Traditionally, with a typical trigger point, one would see a professional to have them massage these
points, breaking up the adhesions and improving blood circulation to that point. There are several
different trigger point therapies available, such a freeze and stretch, dry needling and massage
therapy. With the invention of foam rollers, however, and myofascial release therapy, we can work
our own trigger points even more effectively, and much less expensively as well.

You will note on all of the exercises in this book that if you come across a particularly tight or sore
spot, it is suggested you focus the roller gently on that spot, until the pain dissipates. When you hit a
particularly aggressive trigger point, you may be tempted to quit rolling as the pain will be much
more pronounced, but don’t give into that temptation. Simply ease into that sore, tender area and
apply a steady pressure for about eight to ten second, then slowly release the pressure. You may
have to do this a couple of times, then slowly roll the area a few times. After a short while, as your
muscle fibers are getting more oxygen, and the blood flow increases, you will find a release of those
tight muscles and often even notice pain from other areas disappearing as well.

This method of trigger point release is known as ischemic compression and massage. What this
basically does is put pressure on the blockage, letting pressure build up around the adhesion. When
we release the compression, the blood flow helps in breaking up the adhesion and providing a fresh,
nutrient rich supply of blood flow to the area. When you continue to roll the whole length of the
muscle, you will aid in carrying contaminants away from the previous adhesion and further breaking
down any further adhesions that may lie dormant. Another thing to keep in mind when releasing
trigger points is that you should allow the muscles and tendons (or the myofascia that covers them)
to stretch by doing some simple stretches after your rolling session.

I’ve written a book on Trigger Point Therapy, in which I have highlighted many points of this book, as
I have found foam rolling to be the best aid available in releasing trigger points. Anybody who
doesn’t understand how important trigger point therapy is for our health I would suggest either
reading my book or (if you have the time) do a little research on your own. Or you could do both.
Much of what foam rolling is about is releasing trigger points and smoothing your myofascial tissue.

Some people think of foam rolling as being all about massaging sore muscles, which it actually does
a fantastic job of doing, but that is not what it is all about. Myofascial massage works out kinks in
your myofascia tissue (if you will) and it is those adhesions that actually cause the majority of health
issues relating to poor blood flow, including tired and sore muscles and common aches and pains.

Finding those trigger points and releasing them is vital to helping your muscles remain healthy.
Some preliminary research even shows that these trigger point may be a leading cause of
fibromyalgia and other serious and painful conditions. Taking care of them now may help avoid many
conditions in the future caused by muscular oxygen deprivation and metabolic buildups originating
with trigger points. A regular foam rolling regimen may go a long ways to preventing many age-
related ailments as well, caused by tight muscles and improper oxygen flow in the muscles.
 CHAPTER 8: FOAM ROLLING FOR RUNNERS
Many runners have found foam rolling to be an important part of their regimen, even healthy runners
who feel no pain or discomfort after running. The main benefit of foam rolling for runners has to do
mostly with the mobility of the fascia. If the fascia is not properly mobile the fibers may become cross
linked and bind themselves to our nerves and muscles, which impedes normal movement and may
cause pain over time.

Most runners will perform stretching exercises in order to keep their muscles from tightening up, but
recent research has found that stretching may not be enough. A study published in the Journal of
Sport Rehabilitation (January 2014) found that there was a much increased range of motion in the
hip joint after rolling the hamstring, than with stretching exercises alone. It is postulated that this is
due to an increase blood flow and an increase in intramuscular temperature. Both of these are
necessary to help the elastic properties of the muscle.

The above mentioned study suggests that stretching prior to exercise may not only be unbeneficial,
but may even cause injuries. Many experts are now suggesting that stretching should only be
performed after the run, as the muscles are relaxing and returning to their normal positions and
lengths. The study also suggested that it might be of a greater benefit to perform self-myofascial
release preceding the post exercise stretch.

It is important to understand how fascia is constantly being created and renewed in our body. As we
put stress on our own body, especially through exercises such as running, that stress will affect how
the body is forming those fibers which may cause pain and problems in mobility. By utilizing the foam
rolling techniques outlined in this book we can keep trigger points and scar tissue from forming by
breaking up those tissues within the muscle and the fascia. This will allow our tissue the proper
mobility and help with normal function and motion as well as providing a healthy blood circulation to
those muscles.

As you continue with self-myofascial release exercises, you muscles will become more flexible and
hopefully perform within the normal range of motion. This will enable them to be more productive
and produce more power, due to the elastic energy inherent within them. As a muscle stretches it
stores more energy the more it stretches and the more stored energy it has the greater the force it
will be able to produce. If there is less flexibility in the muscle, there will be a reduced elasticity (or
stretch), which in turn provides a reduced range of motion, less stored energy and a decrease in
force output. If you are a runner, combining foam rolling with proper stretching can help your
muscles to perform at their peak performance level which will help you to achieve a greater standard
of performance than you may have thought possible.

Runners should pay particular attention to the Gluteal Muscles, Iliotibial Band, Quadriceps,
Hamstrings, calves and the plantar fascia ligament (running along the bottom of the feet) when
rolling, as these are areas more prone to adhesions or trigger points in runners. Many runners find
that it is beneficial to roll before as well as after running. The pre-running session will help to loosen
you up and stretch out the fascia to prepare it for workout and the post-rolling session (along with
stretches) keeps any trigger points from forming by smoothing the fascia and massaging underlying
muscles.

There are several common running injuries that can be avoided by regular foam rolling sessions.
The following are the six most common injuries:

Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles Tendinitis is a tenderness of the lower calf, near the heel of the foot. This condition usually is
mostly pronounced when a runner pushes off his or her toes. If you are overweight or run more than
nine miles per minute or faster, then you are at a greater risk of contracting Achilles Tendinitis. When
you run your achilles is absorbing several times your own body weight each time your foot hits the
ground and as you increase your speed, you will increase the stress on this tendon by adding
additional weight to it.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

Medial tibial stress syndrome is a pain felt along the inner front of the lower leg and is commonly
referred to as shin splints. Runners are especially susceptible to this condition when their feet roll
inward excessively (also known as overpronation). The posterior tibial tendon runs into the arch of
the foot. When your feet roll inward, this tendon has to work harder to counteract this motion,
causing pain, possible tears and trigger points along the food and tibia. Anybody experiencing daily
shin pain for longer than a month should seek medical advice to rule out a possible fracture.

Patellar Tendinitis

Patellar Tendinitis is a pain felt in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the patella (or shin bone).
Overweight runners and basketball players are at greater risk of developing patellar tendinitis. The
Patellar tendon helps in extending the leg during running and jumping, but repeat motion on this
tendon can create adhesions and small tears in the tendon. After years of this activity, the adhesions
and tears may accumulate causing pain in the knee and shin.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is felt as a pain and stiffness around the patella or kneecap. Women
who run 10 miles per minute or slower are at an increased risk of developing Patellofemoral Pain
Syndrome. Women, who have a more extreme angle from hip to knee (referred to as the Q angle)
than men, are more likely to have their kneecaps fall out of alignment. This pain will intensify at
slower paced running as the knee goes through less range of motion which in turn places more
demand on the joint.

Iliotibial-Band Syndrome

An inflammation in the band of fibers running along the outside of your knee to the top of your shin is
usually diagnosed as Iliotibial-Band Syndrome. Women who are moderately overweight (BMI of 21
or higher) and run for more than two hours at a time are more prone to develop Iliotibial-band
syndrome. The reason for this syndrome is due to the extra weight putting a greater load on the hips,
and therefore more pressure on the IT band.

Plantar Fasciitis

We briefly mentioned this condition in the exercise section of this book. Plantar fasciitis is basically
an inflammation of the plantar fascia tissue running along the bottom of your foot. This pain is
usually worse upon first getting out of bed, or standing up after sitting for long periods of time. Men
who are over the age of 40 are at the greatest risk, especially if there is a family history of Plantar
Fasciitis. This tissue is usually stiffer in men and becomes less flexible with age. Many experts
believe that this may also be a genetic condition.

The good news is that all of these common running injuries can be prevented (and often treated) by
rolling before and after your run. By keeping the fascia healthy, you are able to keep the tendons and
ligaments from atrophying due to lack of oxygen and a fresh supply of blood. This will also help you
run more effectively and experience far less pain and strain in many other muscle groups.
CHAPTER 9: INCORPORATING THE FOAM ROLLER INTO YOUR
YOGA ROUTINE
I have received quite a few questions dealing with yoga and foam rolling. Many people know about
foam rollers and how great they are in helping with many different fitness routines. Most people,
however, don’t realize how much the foam roller fits right into many different yoga routines, helping
to increase range of motion and flexibility as well as providing muscle tissues with increased blood
flow and oxygen.

While many people think that yoga is all about stretching, yoga is much more than this, it is creating
a balance in the body by developing both strength and flexibility. One way this is achieved is by
placing your body in a variety of positions, or poses. Your practice (or your individual experience with
yoga) will always change, it is not to be static. That is not to say that the poses will change, but your
experience with yoga will change, always evolving. By adding foam rolling to your practice, you will
find that you will achieve an even greater balance and feeling of wellness from your head to your
feet.

Many fitness trainers and enthusiasts have noticed that when they started with foam rolling, many of
the exercises looked very similar to many yoga positions and sessions. If you have done any type of
yoga, you may have noticed the similarity in those exercises listed in this book. Because so many
yoga poses are similar to foam roller exercises, it is much easier to adjust your yoga sessions to
include the foam roller as an integral part of your yoga practice.

Below, I have listed a few yoga positions and exercises that can be greatly enhanced using the foam
roller. This is just some ideas, but as you do your yoga postures, you will no doubt find many other
uses for the foam roller in your yoga practice.

Plank Position

Instead of resting your forearms on the floor, you can use the roller instead. In this manner you can
push back and forth with your arms, thus incorporating an added level of balance and control to the
plank position.

Pike Position

From the chaturanga pose you can place your ankles on the roller, then roll up into the pike position
and then back to the chaturanga pose. This will help you to increase your lower leg muscle and
mobility.

Bridge Position

As you move your body into the bridge position, position your lower spine on your roller. You can
then pull your knees up to your chest and rotate the knees and legs in a circular motion, which will
help to massage your lower spine, relieving tension from the lower back.

Downward facing dog

While you are in the downward facing dog position, you can utilize the roller by placing your thighs
on the roller and move down to the upward facing dog. From this position, allow your body to move
into a low plank while rolling the front of the thighs, moving from the plank to the upward facing dog
and back into the plank position. You can move into the side facing plank and roll the outer thighs, as
well.
These are just a few examples of how you can utilize the roller with your yoga, and there are
probably dozens if not hundreds of other ways of using that roller to enhance your yoga practice. If
you already have a good practice set up, you will find that it is almost second nature to incorporate
the roller into them, to add balancing, toning and control to your practice.

On the other side of the coin, you may find while performing the exercises already outlined in this
book, you can also incorporate yoga into your roller exercises, as many of the roller positions will
mirror many of your yoga positions to some degree. Just allow yourself to be creative, but remember
not to overdo it. With yoga, in many cases, you are stretching your body to extremes, but by
incorporating the roller, you allow your body to stretch, release and massage many points, thus
helping you to not only enhance the exercises but to decrease the likelihood of accidental sprains
and tears to your facial tissue.
 CHAPTER 10: ROLLING BACK THE YEARS
This may sound like an exaggerated claim, but foam rolling may actually help to not only make you
feel younger and more vital, but can be an extreme benefit to actually slowing the aging process and
helping you to live a longer, healthier life. While it hasn’t been “scientifically proven” there are many
theories why this is true, which we will cover in this chapter.

One effect of aging is sore muscles, limited mobility and certain muscle and tendon issues such as
arthritis and bursitis that tend to creep up on us as we age. Some doctors are prone to saying
“you’re just getting older”, suggesting these conditions are normal and we should just accept them
as part of our aging process. This is hogwash!

If you recall from Chapter 6, on trigger point therapy, there are certain microfibers then can get
“knotted” over time, called sarcomeres (or fascial adhesions). As these fibers continue to contract
without releasing, they begin to pile up causing poor circulation and depriving our muscles of the
oxygen necessary to keep them healthy and working properly. If left unattended, as we age these
knots or trigger points become more and more pronounced and we tend to find more aches and
pains setting in, until eventually those muscles no longer function properly. Theoretically, this could
very well be the cause of many ailments we face in our latter years, such as arthritic pain, lower and
upper back pain, leg pain, etc.

Low or poor blood circulation can cause many different health issues, including heart issues that
may lead to death. Utilizing the roller exercises in this book will help you to actually increase your
blood circulation by breaking up those tight areas where your fascial tissue may be knotted.
Improving blood circulation improves oxygen flow to your entire body. All of our organs need a good
supply of oxygen in order to function properly, and as we age these organs may end up having
serious issues if they have consistently been unable to receive the proper supply of oxygen.

If you are young now, then it is the perfect time to start rolling, as this will keep your muscles working
properly, thus adding years to your mobility. If you keep up with your exercises daily, you will be
helping yourself avoid a plethora of health problems that come about through inactive muscles and
poor circulation so that by the time you reach into your 60’s and 70’s you will find yourself feeling
healthy and vital as others fall victim to “old age”.

The great news is that, if you’re already considered to be, or even consider yourself as “over the hill”
and suffering from these ailments so often associated with old age, it is not too late to do something
about it. The nice thing about foam rolling is that, unlike many exercises, most of these exercises are
safe and effective, regardless of your age or condition. Of course, you will want to talk with your
doctor first, but in most cases you will find that adding foam rolling to your daily regimen will be
nothing but beneficial to you.

I have heard from men and women into their 80’s who have raved at how foam rolling has given
them a new lease on life! One woman who recently celebrated her 80th birthday had been suffering
from lower hip pains that doctors had been treating by giving her pain medication, for the past 5
years. However it had been progressively getting worse and she was desperate for a cure and tired
of being told it was “old age” and she should just accept it. Luckily she didn’t accept this, she went
out looking for answers, and she came across an article about foam rolling helping in several
different joint pain therapies.

She went out and bought a foam roller and she started doing some of the exercises (listed in this
book) and found that by just gently rolling on her side for 10 minutes a day, coupled with a few other
easy rolling exercises, her pain started to dissipate. She eventually found that there were numerous
trigger points in her lower back that was actually the root cause of her pain. In just a couple of
months, this woman says she felt years younger and her family is amazed at her increased mobility
and the vitality she is exhibiting. Her friends and family have commented that after she turned 80 she
seems to have been turning back the clock, and is moving around like she did 20 years ago.

While not all people are going to have the same drastic results, I wanted to share this story to
illustrate how much foam rollers can help both the young and the old. We don’t need to listen to
doctors telling us we are just getting older and we don’t have to just accept it. With foam rolling you
can actually roll back that clock, if you are elderly. If you are young you can slow down or stop that
clock from ticking, by keeping your circulation healthy, thus keeping your body healthy. Then, on your
next doctor visit you can surprise your doctor by your sudden increase in mobility and in overall
vitality. You can tell him or her, I don’t have to accept pain as a condition of age, I have taken it by
the horns and “rolled back the years”.
 CONCLUSION
If you’ve made it all the way through this book, congratulations! You are now on your way to being
an expert in self-myofascial release.

You’ve learned how foam rolling came about, what exactly self-myofascial release is about and why
foam rolling can really help you in keeping yourself limber with full-range of motions in your joints
and muscles.

You’ve also learned that by utilizing your foam roller daily, you can add years to your life or take
years off your life (as in feeling younger), by increasing your circulation and keeping your muscles
from knotting up.

You’ve learned the very best exercises from the neck to the soles of the feet and not only how to do
the exercises, but why you should be doing the exercises as well. I have taken great pains to delve
into, not only the exercises, but the exact muscles and tendons being addressed by the roller. It may
take several readings to acquaint yourself with these groups of muscles, but knowing the muscles
and the functions of the muscles, tendons and fascia will bring you a much greater understanding of
not only what to work on, but why.

You can use these exercises by themselves, or you can perform these exercises before and after
training or workouts, in order to keep yourself limber and to release any adhesions inherent with
most workouts.

I highly recommend, if you haven’t yet checked it out, that you also start working with some yoga
postures to help increase the effectiveness of your rolling. If you already are into yoga, you’ve
learned herein how easy it is to incorporate the foam roller into many yoga poses, in order to
maximize the effectiveness of the yoga routine. Yoga and Foam rolling go together quite well in
helping to keep muscles and tendons limber and keep your blood circulation at peak performance.

Eventually, once you have tried all of the exercises in this book you will develop your own regime,
such as doing the upper back exercises followed by the neck exercises. You may want to
incorporate all or several exercises a day, or simply do a different exercise each day. This is a
personal choice depending on what your personal needs are and why you are doing these
exercises. While some people find that doing all of the exercises in succession provides them with
the most benefit, others may find that focusing on only one or two areas each day is perfect for
them. Each person is unique, so you should find what works best for you and go with that.

As you progress in your rolling exercises you may even find yourself improvising and coming up with
new techniques. Just remember, when you do any self-myofascial release, there should be very little
pain and no strain on any muscles. If you feel you are straining, then you need to ease off and/or
position yourself so that there is no strain. There will, more than likely, be some slight pain or
discomfort when you first begin, but this will very quickly ease up and you will feel a release soon
afterward.

Keep in mind, as well, that if or when you hit a trigger point, you may experience an increase in your
pain, but as you gently and firmly focus your rolling on the trigger point, this pain will decrease and
you will feel a release in both tension as well as pain. Don’t stop rolling when you do encounter one
of those “tender” spots that cause you pain, just ease up a little and ease into the trigger point until it
is released.
Remember, by releasing trigger points, you are actually increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to
your muscles and the rest of your body, which will help to not only make you feel better, but may also
help to stave off many age-related illnesses that are often chalked up to “your just getting old”. This
is why it is very important to not give up when you feel that pain, or to avoid that area, but to work it
out with the foam roller until it has eased up and your circulation has returned to normal.

I would also like to say, if your doctor just says your pains and lack of mobility is “normal” and it is
just a part of aging, you might think about finding another doctor. I know many doctors will hate me
for this, but there is always a reason, a root cause to any pain or discomfort and it is just plain lazy to
say it is due to old age and nothing can be done about it, but give them pills and let them deal with it.

One way to find a good doctor is when the doctor examines you if he/she asks questions about your
lifestyle, diet and exercise and offers suggestions to help you to increase your circulation, mobility
and muscle tone, then he or she is more than likely a holistic practitioner and is interested in getting
to the root of your problem, not simply masking the symptoms. A great doctor would be one who
suggests you get a foam roller, in my humble opinion, as this is one of the best way to reverse many
muscle related ailments, as well as ailments rooted in poor circulation.

Once you have mastered the techniques found in this book, you will probably find that foam rolling is
so addictive that your body will complain if you go a couple days without it. It is one of the best and
easiest ways to give your body that all over massage without having to hire a professional
masseuse, and of course much less expensive.

So save your money, save your muscles and save your mobility, get yourself a foam roller (if you
haven’t already done so) and get to feeling better, more energized and healthier through self-
myofascial release.