Pilates Stretch – Calf Foam Roll

The benefits of foam rolling range from warming up your muscles, reducing pain and muscle soreness (DOMS) to helping you recover faster after a workout.

When we foam roll, we are rolling the fascia that encloses the muscle. Fascia surrounds body parts from organs to muscles to blood vessels. It can also be a tough part of the body on its own, like the thick plantar fascia that stabilizes the arch on the bottom of the foot.

The roller applies pressure, helping to manipulate and break up “knots”, stiffness and tension that can form in your muscles and tissue.

To use a foam roller, slowly run the roller down stiff muscles (such as your calves, hamstrings, quads, Iliotibial (IT) bands and middle back), using your body weight to apply as much pressure as feels suitable.

Keep the movement fluid and slow. Start by rolling along the length of the muscle, then you can follow up with small rolls over any spots that are tender to help release any knots.

Take long breaths as you roll, as this helps to increase the flow of blood to your muscles.

The mixture of smooth and bumpy textures is designed to mimic the actions of a massage therapist, which may help to reduce muscle tension.