Round foam rollers can be used for stretching. This technique is known as myofascial release. Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy intended for pain relief, increasing range of motion and balancing the body. The fascia is manipulated, directly or indirectly, - in this instance with the foam roller, - to allow the connective tissue fibres to reorganize themselves in a more flexible, functional fashion. The Golgi tendon organ, which senses tension and rate of tension change in muscle, responds to high or prolonged tension by causing the muscle spindles to relax the muscle you are working on. This response is caused by your body weight resting on the foam roller. Fascia is a seamless web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and skeletal structures, located between the skin and the underlying structure of muscle and bone.

1. Find a tender spot in the area you are working and keep the roller on this spot. Wait for the discomfort to diminish by 50-75%. This could take some time, and will be uncomfortable.

2. When this area is no longer sensitive begin to see if there are other sensitive areas and repeat.

3. When the area is free from pain and can be rolled over, then continue rolling regularly to keep the area relaxed.

4. Use the roller as a warm-up and a warm down before and after your workouts.

5. There is some freedom for experimentation and ‘feel’ when using the rollers. See what works best for you and manipulate the roller to the correct position. You will be able to create your own variations of exercises to address particular needs.



Some muscles are very hard to stretch conventionally, and myofascial release through foam roller use can be a really effective way of releasing the built up tension. The iliotibial band is a great example of a muscle that can be manipulated extremely well with a foam roller. The iliotibial band – or ITB – is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the leg. It is quite common for people to have a tight and/or inflamed ITB, and because of its location, it is very hard to stretch with static stretching. Rolling your leg up and down a foam roller can help relieve the tension, although it can be quite uncomfortable if your ITB is quite inflamed! It is possible to actually find tight spots that you didn’t even know you had using a foam roller.