Myofascial Release is one of my FAVORITE recoveries!
In the last few weeks, I talked about how hamstring strain is one of the most common injuries for runners. And if you are not a runner, it's all good. I am guessing you still walk, and walking still uses your hamstrings.
Some of you might ask, what is Self Myofascial Release? Why do I need it?
Simple short answer - Use specific props to apply gentle pressure in the restricted tissues to reduce pain and tension and restore your full range of motion.
Let's face it, life is hard on our bodies. You might have back pain, shoulder pain, tight hips, etc. If you are a triathlete like me, you can list more areas of discomfort!
Self-myofascial release will help you release the tension and pain in your body. It allows you to live life pain-free.
And who doesn't want to be pain-free?
The best part about the self-myofascial release is that you can do it anytime, anywhere!
Our bodies need to be strong and mobile. (Notice I did not say 'flexible'. Society has made us believe we need to touch our toes or do the split whenever we see the words 'Yoga' and 'flexibility' in one sentence. Trust me, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TOUCH YOUR TOES TO PRACTICE YOGA!
I went on a tangent there for a bit. Let's get back to myofascial release.
This next part gets a little technical. If you have no interest in learning fascia, feel free to skip the next paragraph in Italics. No hard feelings here🙂
Fascia is like a fluid web, the scaffolding of your body. It has a tensile strength of up to 2,000 lbs per square inch. That's pretty strong!
One way to rehydrate fascia is by 'Compression.' This is where we place a ball underneath the tissue and gently push some pressure on it.
If we place a hard ball or try to 'dig deep,' our body will tense up. When you tense up, your body cannot relax. Self-myofascial release gets the best results in the long run when your body is relaxed.
Here is a video demo of how to do a self-myofascial release for your hamstrings!
Enjoy, and until then,
Keep being you. The world needs more you! 🌻❤️