Balance Blog

As a member of Balance Gym, you know the definition of hard work. You’re at the gym several times a week, testing your body to its limits. Sometimes those muscles – and you – need a break.

Many experts say that regular massage for athletes and other fitness oriented folks is necessary to help reduce muscle stiffness, improve range of motion in the joints and lower blood pressure.

However, as the New York Times pointed out last week, many people are watching their wallets today, and instead of paying for a professional masseuse, they’re turning toward the next best thing – self massage.

The article explains that one of the most popular – and effective – methods of self massage is the use of foam rollers. “In the late ’90s, you could only find foam rollers through physical therapy catalogs,” said Keats Snideman, a massage therapist and conditioning coach in Tempe, Ariz., who produced a DVD about self-massage. “Now you can buy them anywhere, and exercises with them are all over YouTube.”

Here at Balance, many trainers are big advocates of the foam rollers, including Graham King, both Balance trainer and co-owner. “Most of our personal training sessions at Balance involves some sort of movement prep from foam rolling to joint preparation,” he explains.

Of course, foam rolling, and other forms of self massage can’t completely eliminate the need for a professional knead. As Collette Glass, a sports massage therapist in Atlanta, said in the article, “A foam roller can’t alleviate deep trigger points the way an experienced thumb or knuckle can.”

Read the New York Times Article Here.