1. Take it slow. Plan to spend at least 1 min on each area and only move about an inch or less per second. Rolling quickly over muscles might feel great, but it doesn’t provide enough time under pressure to actually do much.
2. Use before AND after a workout. Before a workout the foam roller will help increase blood flow to the muscles as well as range of motion. After a workout, it will help you recover by continuing to move blood through the muscles as they cool down.
3. If it hurts, back off the pressure. If there’s a spot that’s too painful to roll, either put less pressure on that area or just roll near the painful area but not directly on it.
4. Don’t try to use it as a substitute for a good warm up before you work out. The foam roller can have some awesome benefits, but it should never be the only thing you do before a workout.
