If you haven’t read part one of this blog series then skip back to 1:1 where you’ll learn what foam rolling actually does for your body.

If you want to know when to use your foam roller then read on.

The perfect time to use a foam roller depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

I’ve divided the ‘when’ into 3 categories:

1. before exercise

2. during exercise

3. after exercise

In each section I explain what effect you’ll be having on your body.

Using your foam roller before you exercise will have the following effects on your body:

• Self Myofascial Release (SMFR)

• Increasing flexibility without decreasing strength

• Increasing joint range of motion in the short term

I got this information from the following academic studies:

Acute effects of foam rolling on passive stiffness, stretch sensation and fascial sliding: A randomized controlled trial Human movement science 67 2019 Frieder Krause, Jan Wilke, Daniel Niederer, Lutz Vogt, & Winfried Banzer

Do exercises with the Foam Roller have a short-term impact on the thoracolumbar fascia? A randomized controlled trial Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2017 (21) 186-193 Annika Griefahn, Jan Oehlmann, Christoff Zalpour, & Harry von Piekartz

Acute Effects of Foam Rolling, Static Stretching, and Dynamic Stretching During Warm-ups on Muscular Flexibility and Strength in Young Adults. Journal of Sports Rehabilitation Su H, Chang NJ, Wu WL, Guo LY, Chu IH. 2017 Nov;26(6):469-477

Acute Effects of Foam Rolling on Range of Motion in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta‑analysis Sports Medicine 18th October 2019 Jan Wilke, Anna-Lena Müller, Florian Giesche, Gerard Power, Hamid Ahmedi, & David G. Behm

Using your foam roller during an exercise session may have the following effects:

• Enhance your strength and performance

• Delay the onset of muscle fatigue

I got this information from the following academic studies:

The Effect of Foam Rolling on Recovery Between two Eight Hundred Metre Runs Journal of Human Kinetics 2017 June 57: 97-105 Antony D’Amico & Vincent Paolone

Effects of Foam Rolling on Vertical Jump Performance International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science 2015 Vol 3 No 3 Andrew Jones, Lee E. Brown, Jared W. Coburn, & Guillermo J. Noffal

The Effect of Foam Rolling for Three Consecutive Days on Muscular Efficiency and Range of Motion Sports Medicine - Open 2018 Lewis J. Macgregor, Malcolm M. Fairweather, Ryan M. Bennett, & Angus M. Hunter

Using your foam roller after exercise can have the following effect:

• Decreases Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

I got this information from the following academic study:

Foam rolling is an effective recovery tool in trained distance runners Sports Sciences for Health 2019 page 1-11 Emma J. Lee, Erik H. Van Iterson, Sarah E. Baker, Alexander J. Kasak, Natalie E. Taylor, ChoungHun Kang, Christopher J. Lundstrom, & Eric M. Snyder

Conclusion:

Think about the outcome you’re aiming for with your foam rolling and that should help you determine the best time to use it for you.

Happy rolling!

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