Roll Your Way to Better Health
Lucy Wakefield, Founder and Creative Director of holistic lifestyle brand Calmia, says,
I often have people asking me what yoga rollers are, their benefits and how you use them. Yoga rolling is the perfect companion to yoga, an exercise routine and a lifesaver for sore muscles, so I have compiled a 'Yoga Rolling 101' to get you rolling!
Who needs a yoga roller?
Yoga (or foam) rollers allow you to benefit from a deep tissue massage without the masseuse. They are for anyone who works out, sits for long periods, practices yoga, wants to improve their posture, needs to ease their knots and wants to relieve some stress!
What are the benefits of foam rolling?
Rolling aids muscle recovery and helps prevent common injuries. By massaging away fascia build-up and tightness in your muscles, you're returning them to normal function and helping to prevent those areas from becoming injury trigger points.
Rolling helps you de-stress. Rolling releases tension that is built up in your connective tissue and simply feels really good after a long day hunched over your computer, a challenging run or an intense HIIT class.
Rolling reduces soreness. When you work out, your body produces lactic acid that makes you sore later on or the next day if it sits in your muscles. Foam rolling brings blood to your muscles, flushing out lactic acid and helping your muscles repair.
How to get rolling...
When you first start rolling opt for a classic roller like the Calmia Massage Yoga Roller (£29, calmia.com). Position the area of your body to be massaged on top of the roller and slowly move forwards and backwards, stopping and holding on any particular areas of tightness. Breathe, relax and release and continue rolling until the body part you are working on feels more pliable and relaxed.
Once you have become more accustomed to rolling you can move onto the Calmia Stress Relief Yoga Roller (£25, calmia.com) which will give you a deeper tissue massage. All of Calmia's yoga rollers are made from eco friendly EVA foam.