Should I use a foam roller after exercising?

Foam rolling is a popular post-workout recovery technique that is loved by many. Despite being painful on sore muscles, foam rolling is often considered to be a great way to relieve muscle tension and stiffness after exercise.

However, despite its popularity, foam rolling is not a magical cure to fix every sore muscle, relieve every ache, or speed up the recovery process. Even if your personal trainer or your gym-loving friend recommends using the foam roller after every workout, it might not work for you.  When considering whether you should foam roll or not, you need to take your personal needs and preferences into account.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling works on soft tissues, such as the muscles and fascia. It’s a myofascial release technique that reduces tension in your muscles, alleviating pain and stiffness after exercise.

Does Foam Rolling Work?

When you exercise, your muscles can become tight and form knots. After exercise, you can alleviate the stiffness by applying pressure, as you do when using a foam roller.

Foam rolling can help to alleviate pain and reduce the risk of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a difficult workout and improve range of motion. However, some studies indicate that foam rolling has very little effect on speeding up recovery or improving exercise performance in subsequent workouts.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you want to foam roll. There is evidence for and against using foam rolling to aid your exercise performance and recovery. If you’re unsure whether it will work for you, give it a go and see if you notice any difference in your workouts.