It’s the age old question: why is it that what is good for me doesn’t taste/feel/look good? With my new knee diagnosis, I have been diligent about doing the PT exercises recommended for those who elect not to have surgery. Meet my new nemesis.
I have had it for more than a year. It has dutifully sat in the corner, only getting attention immediately following each massage because the massage therapist always says, “You really should use a foam roller”, which is why I bought it in the first place (after a “good for me” as opposed to a “feels good” massage). After about a week, it goes back to the corner.
Why does it keep getting banished? It hurts! To be fair to the roller, it’s not its fault. I know it only hurts when I don’t use it often enough, but I don’t use it often enough because it hurts! Did I mention that it hurts?!?!?!?
I am a member of 24 Hour Fitness (thank you, Costco membership! – Not an affiliate link by the way.) At the one year anniversary of activation, I was given a free personal training session. I decided to use it to create a better stretching routine. While dancing I had a great series of lower body stretches, but I’m bored of them now, plus now with so much extra time spent in front of a computer, I really needed some upper body stretches.
What, you might be thinking, has all of this to do with the evil foam roller? Well, my personal trainer, Bethany, taught me the awesomest stretch on the planet to open up the chest muscles that involves the foam roller. It feels soooooooo good! Since learning that stretch, I have un-banished the roller. The chest stretch is my reward for torturing my IT band and all those muscles that link up along the inside of the knee.
“They” keep telling me that if I use the roller regularly, I will break up all the knots in there, and it will hurt less. I think “they” as sadistic liars, but I hope to be proven wrong. So far, still painful, but I am noticing a difference in leg strength with the exercises, so maybe in time this will get better as well.
Has anyone else had to bribe themselves into doing a Good-for-Me activity? What are some of your tricks of the trade?
Grown Up, Now What? 
I’ve never used a foam roller as I’m not really sure of what it’s supposed to accomplish physiologically. When I’ve treated patients in the past (I was an Athletic Therapist in my past life – now I’m a mom who works in Public Procurement), I looked for the cause of their injuries – gait, mechanics, range of motion, over-training, improper footwear etc.. When you eliminate the cause of the injury, you allow the injury and tissues to heal. My question is – is the foam roller addressing the cause?
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Thanks for commenting, Janice! How wonderful to find out more about your background.
Right now I am building up all the muscles of my legs in order to take some of the workload off the meniscus. The foam roller helps to alleviate tightness in whatever area one is using it on, which are many considering my regimen. It is direct pressure on the “knots”. Tight IT bands are known to cause incorrect tracking of the knee cap and to pull off the alignment of the whole area. Here is an article from Runner’s World that shows it in use (and agrees with me on the “evil” part!) http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911
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Hi Tammy,
I know what you mean about spending a lot of extra time in front of the computer. My body gets tighter during the winter because I am less active. The weather here in Maryland has gotten warmer so I decided to do some yard work.
Cutting off pieces from a 100 foot oak tree that fell in the back of my yard and taking the wood and splitting it with an axe for firewood. To say that I am stiff from doing it is an understatement. 🙂
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Wow! Now that is a work out! You must have quite a yard!
The first stretch here (http://www.fitter1.com/assets/pdf/foamroller_exercises.pdf) is the one I use as a reward. It really opens up the chest, and it feels good in the process. Something that feels good and is good for you! Miracles do happen.
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Ah! My husband says a video came with his and has all sorts of exercises shown, so I should probably watch and see what else I might do.
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I wish a video had come with mine, too! Thank goodness for YouTube! I might not have hated it so much. Oh, who am I kidding? It would still hurt! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by again, Karen!
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