Rollering muscles ! Beneficial or not ?

[cotes du rhone !]

Dd rollers her muscles post class, she says it leans her muscles and prevents bulking ! Swimming ds rollers his before training as he says it warms up the muscles for exercise ! His coach says there is no benefit to rollering after exercise and it doesn't reduce bulking ! Help please ???

[Anjuli_Bai]

I agree with the coach.

[sarahw]

It sounds unlikely that rollering would reduce bulk. I think bulk is related to the load the muscles are put under?

[Harwel]

When teaching Pilates, I get my clients to use a roller for core balance and rolling tight muscle groups as a form of trigger point release. I would certainly never advocate it's use for reduction of bulk, be it fatty or muscular.

[LinMM]

I was given this rollering of muscles to do for very tight calf muscles to help relieve my ankle injury too.

 

I imagine if I was using my roller in conjunction with a ballet class I would want to do it BEFORE the class as it's during the class that you want the muscles to be less tight......though I suppose you could do before AND after.

 

I bought this sort of roller made of a fairly hard sponge material.

I sit on the floor hands by side and then starting with the roller on the ankle roll up the leg towards the knee by lifting bottom off the floor and sort of balancing on hands.

This is also quite good for the core muscles while you are doing it!

I think only exercising in the right way would actually reduce bulky muscles though.

[drdance]

Rolling muscles using a foam roller etc only massages them. It might reduce visible bulk by a small amount if that bulk is caused by tightness but it can't magically get rid of muscle tissue!

[Anna C]

I agree. I've seen RB dancers in class and those that use a foam roller use it before class. My physio recommends using them as a type of trigger point massage to help loosen tight muscles.