Roll With It

I first heard about Foam Rolling when I started physiotherapy for my back post major surgery. At the time the suggestion wasn't for me to try this myself but it was discussed as one of the therapies that could help in the future.

Myofascial Release is an alternative therapy that treats muscular pain by improving blood and lymphatic circulation, stimulating the stretch reflex in muscles - put briefly. There's no doubt it can increases your core stability whilst providing a soft tissue massage.

As a follower of UKRunChat on twitter I'd also come across several references to the foam roller being used to warm up or down and to treat injury. Opinion is generally good although the term 'dreaded foam roller' often appears.

I found this out for myself when I first tried Foam Rolling, it's not for the faint hearted...it can hurt. However, performed correctly and with proper advice beforehand the benefits far outweigh any discomfort so that a Foam Roller can become an essential piece of your sports kit.

With further research I found that this piece of fitness equipment was applauded by many sporting disciplines including runners, cyclists, climbers, swimmers and more. The benefits of Foam Rolling are also shown to work in physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation as well as being included in many Pilates and Yoga classes now.

When returning to work and a new business MissfitUK the Foam Roller was one of the first items I decided to stock. I had some Trigger Point Grid Foam Rollers made to order and shipped over from China - my first import. Sales have been slow but steady as although it's been around a few years now the Foam Roller still sits in a niche market for fitness accessories. 

Once the rollers arrived I needed to include an instruction guide as Foam Rolling isn't something you should take on without advice. I am very fortunate to have THE Best yoga teacher, Gemma Harvey of Midlands Yoga  who kindly agreed to demonstrate how to use the rollers in her Yoga Studio in Tamworth. With some fab photo's and Gemma's adept use of the Foam Roller we managed to put together an informative and useful guide showing 12 core exercises which can be downloaded from MissfitUK.

As for my Foam Rolling expertise I'm now using it more regularly to warm down after a run and there are definitely benefits. Would I recommend it, of course I would - but then I do have a cupboard full of them to sell...

Available to buy for only £12 with Free UK Delivery using Promo Code NYFR16