By Tammy McAdams –
Self Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the fascia—the soft connective tissue system that “wraps” muscles and other structures in your body.
Healthy fascia tissue should glide independently over muscles. However, physical trauma, habitual poor posture or repetitive stress injuries can cause the fascia to become inflexible, impeding muscle movement. Self Myofascial Release techniques, such as using a foam roller, can smooth out the hard knots and return the fascia to its normal fluid and adaptable state.
SMR is one of the best ways to release fascia in order to reduce post-workout soreness, speed up muscle recovery, and improve flexibility for greater performance. Because fascia is a whole-body connective system, the benefits of SMR can resonate throughout the entire body, and even be of benefit to the vascular and parasympathetic nervous systems.
As a personal trainer, my job is to help you stay flexible so you can build muscle and recover without injury. SMR is one method to assist in that goal. Once you have experienced a good myofascial release, you will be amazed at how much better you will feel, move and breathe.
Benefits of Self Myofacial Release include:
Improved flexibility, mobility and range of motion
Reduced pain and post-workout and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Fast relief and lasting results
Greater workout performance in future workouts
Possible improvement in vascular and parasympathetic nervous system function
