Recently we've been talking about the benefits of massage and how it relates to sports. However, massage isn't the only way to work out all the kinks. One technique, known as self myofascial release, is also effective and less time consuming. First lets talk about some basic underlying principles behind it.

Muscles aren't one giant piece of stretchy material, they are actually made up of bundles. All of theses bundles need to be compacted and organized. This organization is accomplished by an anatomical structure called a fascia. Let's say that you have ground beef wrapped in saran wrap, the beef is the muscle bundles and the saran wrap is the fascia. It should be mentioned that fascia isn't just there simply to keep things together, it also transmits muscle force to tendons and bone. Occasionally, muscles get a little knotted up and need to be worked on. One of the best ways to take care of this is by strategically applying pressure on the muscle. Hence myofascial release.

One of the most conventional ways of performing this technique on yourself is with the use of a handy dandy implement known as a foam roller. As a side note, foam rollers come in standard sizes and varying densities. For the beginner, try a foam roller of lesser density. Be forewarned, first time foam rolling is not always the most pleasant sensation. As all the knots get worked out, the unpleasantness goes away.

Click on the link below to see some of the standard motions performed on foam rollers. http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/self-myofascial-release.html