When it comes to foam rolling, I’ve been pretty fair weather. Using it when I need it—or, in other words, when problems start to crop up. As part of a month-long challenge run by Anna Weber, I foam rolled (almost) every day for a month. Here’s what I learned:
Not just for hard days.
I’ve never been one to foam roll on my days off running, and rarely on easy days. It was something I did out of duty after particularly hard or long runs. Doing it on the easy days meant I wasn’t always hitting the roller with tight muscles, so overall, I enjoyed it more.
Bonus Workout!
Some days my foam roll routine felt like a bonus core workout because of the work to support myself in the right position. Over the course of the month, that all adds up. I can always use more focus on my core, so I wasn’t mad about it!
Variety can be magic.
Not everyone uses their foam roller the same way. I initially learned foam rolling technique from a coach at a class at the JCC years ago, then didn’t think twice about it. I did the same foam roll routine nearly every time I used it for ever and ever, amen. Then, I saw a friend rolling and picked up some new things from her. Now, foam roll routine videos are popping up all over the place. And I still learned new ways to use my foam roller during this challenge. Mixing the routine up kept it interesting.
End with this…
Foam rolling back muscles is the thing I didn’t know I needed in my life. It feels surprisingly good, and I found if I end with that, it is an extra motivator for me to do the work I need on my legs.
A new habit is born.
The challenge was going for the month of October. I missed two days. One was while I was camping (I actually had a plan to foam roll with a water bottle, but didn’t make it happen), and another day I just plain forgot. Still, it stuck enough that I foam rolled today, the day after the challenge ended. It was an autopilot reaction after my run. I’ve read before that new behaviors or habits can feel automatic between 18 and 254 days, or an average of 66 days. Here’s hoping this sticks!
Checklists are my jam.
Having a box to check has an uncanny power for me personally. I’m thinking about designing some new daily checklists because sometimes that’s all it take to get something done: one little check box beckoning.
Proof is in the pudding.
My muscles felt really good even through some pretty high mileage weeks and running a 50K mile trail race that beat my legs. Given the short amount of time it takes, and the fact that I can do it while watching a movie or something else, it is a no-brainer for me to continue investing this time.