By Sandi Silagi
“Fascia is a network of connective tissue, without beginning and end, which encloses everything in the whole body, from muscles and bones to organs and cells.” Foam rollers are generally thought of as a self-massage technique to ease muscle and fascia tension and improve circulation.
The effects of foam rolling have been studied for quite some time. Dr. Robert Schleip, the Director of the Fascia Research Group at the University of Ulm, was researching the foam roller as early as 2003 and finding support in myofascial release by using foam rollers. By 2015, there was research to indicate that foam-rolling did in fact reduce the symptoms of delayed-onset-muscle-soreness (DOMS). DOMS is that discomfort you may feel a day or two after a long hike or intense exercise. Foam rolling can restore the tissue early on, so that you don’t have the setback of discomfort.
The research also suggested that foam rolling could be beneficial both before and after a workout. Rolling before training could increase the range of motion, decreasing the chance of injury. Foam rolling did not show any impeding factors to performance like stretching did. Foam rolling was an acceptable warm-up and cool down.
There are foam rollers that are very firm. Your body will tense against the abrasiveness at first. It generally hurts, and you feel resistance using them. Some foam rollers are even bumpy and firm – even more pain. The outcome of reduced DOMS was beneficial enough to do it.
It wasn’t until one of my clients said to me, “This just hurts, it can’t be right” that I stopped a moment, took a breath, and said, “You’re right.” I started wondering what our options were.
Most foam rollers are firm. You will hear the phrases “Blast the fascia” or “Iron the fascia.” These have their benefits, but it hurts, and I am not a proponent of tearing up the tissue to rebuild it. We don’t have to make ourselves hurt to make ourselves stronger.
I believe we can gently guide the strengthening connections. At any age, we can sustainably build our strength and increase our stability and mobility in a calm and energized way. It’s not a race to the finish line. It doesn’t need to hurt. In direct opposition, I believe it is best to calm the nervous system and then to strengthen.
At Core Centric Training, we use MELT Method rollers. They are soft and bendable and allow your tissue to adapt around the roller instead of the roller breaking through the tissue. We have clinical data that shows the calming benefits of the softer roller. Now we are getting scientific data.
Dr. Schleip is in the midst of the Fascia Research Update 2024, which studied different types of foam rollers: different densities and textures. Michelle Reed at Core Centric Training recently took a class with Dr. Schleip regarding this research. What she learned is fascinating.
A softer roller can indeed calm the autonomic nervous system so you can function better. Ideally, you want to pick a foam roller density that lets your body feel like it’s relaxing or as if the roller (or self-massage tool, such as a ball) is getting softer when you compress into it. The softness or rather the softening response starts to happen within the first 20 seconds.
If, when you take a breath and let your body soften into the roller, it feels like the roller is getting harder, or your body has a fighting response, then it’s too firm or the environment needs to change.
When our body response is to soften into the roller, it’s changing our nervous system regulation. In our brainstem, we’re reconditioning our response patterns to something called pain modulation. Kind of like facing the monster. When a body thinks it is getting close to an unsafe range of motion, it will slow down and not go there. We can change that body knowledge by calming it down, then getting deeper into the tissue using MELT Method sequences with the soft MELT roller.
Oftentimes, when working together using the MELT roller, Michelle or I will say:
- Let your hips be heavy.
- Let your body be heavy on the roller.
- Breathe into it.
- Edge up to the barrier.
These cues allow you to soften and begin to recondition the learned response of tensing or bracing. By lessening the tension, you allow the change to go deeper into the tissue; you create more change and restoration in the deep fascia. You get more control through your breath and increased mobility and stability.
The strength of the calm, energized body is so beautiful. It feels good, too. As a bonus, if you try it, you will likely sleep better!
This research is yet to be published. We will be keeping an eye on further findings.
Sandi Silagi is a co-owner of Core Centric Training, offering in person sessions on Vashon and sessions from anywhere on Zoom (Info@CoreCentricTraining.com). In business since 2009, Core Centric Training is located at 17331 Vashon Hwy Suite A1 in the Tree of Life building.
