Article
2017 network Spring 2017_Self massage pain for gain.pdf
Journal of Fitness Research
(2017)
Abstract
Introduction: I have two personalities
when I go to the gym to train. First, there’s
the somewhat relaxed, social persona that
trains after work. Because I’m not rushing,
these workouts are generally less stressful
and I can add extra sets/reps or cardio
time as I like. Then there’s the stressed,
antisocial neurotic who has hotfooted it to
the gym between patients, so has little to
no time for idle chit chat and must move like
a gazelle between cardio, stretching and
weights, while also ensuring there’s enough
time to shower and fly back to the clinic for
the next patient. Stressful from woe to go,
to say the least. On a positive note, using
gaps between patients to get a gym (or
swim) training session in is very good time
management. On the negative, anti-social
behaviour is never well received. Rumour
has it they think I have a split personality…
Regardless of my personality on the day,
my training regime stipulates stretching and
abs immediately following cardio, otherwise
these exercises simply will not get done.
Sounds easy enough, but over the past
year or so, my back-slab training (as I like
to refer to it) has become progressively
more difficult. Not due to my ageing or
lack or abdominal fitness, but because the
stretching zone is increasingly inundated
with people using foam rollers on every
imaginable body part! What the h*ll is going
on? Joe and I discussed this phenomenon
and he agreed that they may be being overused,
and in many instances may not be
reaping results in exchange for the pain
and effort. Used for myofascial release, in
effect self-massage is believed to break up
adhesions on the fibrous connective tissue
(i.e. fascia) surrounding muscles. As regards
the efficacy of foam rollers, we thought this
instalment of Research Review was an ideal
place to address one aspect of this topic,
gains in flexibility.
We are all aware that joint function and
muscle flexibility is important for athletic and
physical performance, and to some degree
reduces the risk of injury. Therefore, any
technique or method that can potentially
enhance joint function and flexibility is
worthy of investigation, and that is exactly
what Dr Monteiro and his colleagues did
as they compared the effectiveness of
self-massage foam rolling versus self-roller
massage on hamstring flexibility.
Keywords
- self-massage,
- foam roller,
- flexibility
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring September, 2017
Citation Information
Mike Climstein. "2017 network Spring 2017_Self massage pain for gain.pdf" Journal of Fitness Research Vol. Sprint (2017) p. 44 - 47 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/michael_climstein/111/