2No ball? Use a
rolled-up hand
towel insteadNow, as more and more people embrace
the practice, word is spreading that
rolling – either on a long, foam roller or
using soft therapy balls as shown here –
can also have remarkable benefits for
your mind and mood, as well as your
body. Some participants report they are
able to use the technique instead of
painkillers, while others have found it
can help them deal with emotions that
have become bottled up inside.THE SCIENCE OF FOAM ROLLING
SMR’s efects for both pain relief and
emotional wellbeing are tied to the tissue
that lies just beneath your skin: your
fascia. This extraordinary web of highly
sensitive connective tissue (it has 10
times more nerve endings than muscle)
is a stretchy, mesh-like substance made
primarily of collagen that acts like a type
of shrink-wrap for the internal structure
of your body. It weaves around and
through your muscles and supports your
organs, holding everything together.
Age and injury cause sticky adhesions todevelop in the fascia, making your body
feel stif, achy and less flexible. Massaging
the fascia by rolling your body over foam
cylinders or soft rubber therapy balls
keeps the tissue smooth and malleable,
allowing you to move with greater ease
and fluidity – and less pain.
If you’ve never heard of fascia,
you’re not alone. The tissue was largely
ignored by the medical community until
researchers from 28 countries presented
their findings about its importance
for human movement at the first
International Fascia Research Congress
at Harvard Medical School in 2007.
Since then, fasciae have become the
focus of intensive study, with many
experts concluding that keeping this
tissue supple, with a combination of
exercise, stretching and, most important,
SMR, is crucial for healthy ageing.
The idea of using myofascial release
tools to ease emotional pain is so new,
however, that it hasn’t been subjected to
scientific scrutiny. But instructors who
teach women to use foam rollers and2 EASE ANXIETY
(ABOVE
This move releases tension
in the abdomen, allowing
you to breathe more deeply.
It also reduces pressure
on the back, relieving
tightness and pain.
TRY IT Lie face down on
floor or bed on top of soft
ball positioned in centre of
abdomen. Extend legs and
comfortably settle arms
and head. Inhale, hold
breath and tighten abs.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds
and exhale. Repeat 5 to 8
times. Slowly shift weight
from side to side on top
of ball for 2 minutes,
breathing deeply.106 PREVENTIONAUS.COM.AU