There are many benefits to using a foam roller, many people tend to think of them best for relieving sore muscles and muscle tightness – which they do an excellent job of!
However, there are some other great benefits that often times fly a bit under the radar. For instance, I used to visit a chiropractor once a month for neck and shoulder pain. While the Chiropractor worked great, it was expensive and consumed a lot of time each day I had to go.
I also suffered from PVCs (aka Premature ventricular contractions), which is why I started this whole site in the first place. The amazing thing I found from routine usage of my foam roller, in addition to more exercise, was the reduction of PVCs. I attribute this to two things. First, a foam roller, when used on your back, helps open up your chest cavity and undo a lot of slouching effects that occur from sitting a lot. Additionally, the foam roller helps to align your spine and neck. Depending on how often I use my roller, I can achieve the same relief I experience after an expensive visit to the chiropractor.
My advice is to give a foam roller a try. You can pick this one up at Amazon for $20 – about 1/3 of the price one trip to the Chiropractor.
However, if you are still not convinced that you should be using a foam roller. Here are a list of known benefits that you can expect when using a roller regularly:
- Reduce fatigue
- Improve recovery
- Enhance range of motion
- Promote blood flow
- Break down scar tissue
- Help maintain normal muscle length
- Reduce pain and soreness
- Increase range of motion
- Relax your muscles