Hi everyone!!

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving a massage you know how refreshed and loose your body feels after.  Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could give your muscles that kind of relief daily? You can with self-myofascial release (SMR)!  Most people will identify with this technique as “rolling out” or” foam rolling” even though the foam roller is just one of the tools that can be used for SMR.

Self-myofascial release is a method used to alleviate muscle tension, improve blood flow and accelerate the recovery process.  There are several videos and routines you can follow (see below) to learn how to achieve SMR but here is a quick example to give you an idea.

• Using a foam roller to alleviate muscle soreness in your quadricep, you would slowly start moving your quad up and down the foam roller until you found the “sore” or “sensitive” spot. Once you’ve found the spot you would either hold your position or make a tiny rocking motion (1” range of motion) forward and back for 30 – 60 seconds.

Self-myofascial release tools:

• P-Knot
• Tune Up Fitness Massage Therapy Balls
• How to Choose the Right Foam Roller

Here are a few examples of how to videos:

• Upper Back and Neck Pain Relief
• Hip Pain Relief
• P-knot Lower Back Pain Relief
• 20min Foam Rolling Routine

Whether you need to relive sore muscles from a tough workout or just need to relieve tension from your shoulders after a hard day, I think you’ll find SMR can really help.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith