WODdoc Episode 187 Project365: How Much Is Too Much?!?

You guys hear me from my soap box all the time preaching the word of foam rolling. We refer to tender points as “hotspots” and we say to call these hotspots 10’s and to roll them in all directions until they reduce to a 5. I get asked on a regular occasion how much is too much… in other words, how much should this hurt?? My answer for the longest time has been .. “work within your tolerance.”

This weekend I came across a better answer. When rolling we should stay within a tolerance that does not alter our breathing.”  Which means if we are rolling and come across a hotspot that makes us kind of hold our breath a second…. thats ok but, it should not be so painful we can’t regain our normal breathing within several seconds (3-5secs).  If we are in to much pain to regain our normal breathing we are applying too much pressure.

Yes, you can apply to much pressure.  Foam rolling is meant to relax and message tissue, breaking up fibrous adhesions that may be hindering the gliding properties of the tissue. If we apply so much pressure that we create a reflexive contracting of the tissue that would seem counterintuitive.  Turns out this reflexive contracting happens at about the same pressure that also alters your breathing.

And there you have it!

Today’s WODdocket:

1. Sit back and ponder!