Foam Rollin’: a Guest Post and Giveaway!

Hi, everybody! I’m Miranda and I blog over at Biting Life. I’m so excited to be guest posting for Maren’s Morsels while Maren’s away this weekend. Shh, don’t tell her… but I think her blog is awesome and I have a little bit of a girl-crush on her! (Awww… Thanks, I think you’re  so so so cute and your blog is awesome!!!) Who wouldn’t love a girl who thinks chocolate and skittles are just as awesome as pounding out a great workout?!

Today I’m here to talk to you guys about the awesomeness that is foam-rolling. Using foam rollers to help work out muscles is really popular with runners, but it can work wonders for anybody! I’m not a runner, but I use my RumbleRoller foam roller every single day.

Like my RumbleRoller, foam rollers can be pretty expensive (mine was about $70 on Amazon), but there are also cheaper and smaller options that can fit into any budget.

Here’s a close-up view of those awesome bumps on the RumbleRoller.

I know that those things can look pretty intimidating (as can any foam roller!), but they are absolutely magical once you figure out how to use them in the right way.
Here are some foam-rolling tips to get you started…

Tips for Foam Rolling:

1. Go easy! Especially when you’re a beginner at foam-rolling, it’s very easy to hurt yourself by being too ambitious. You want to start off with very light pressure and ease into it. Foam-rolling can be painful at times, so it’s important to spend a few days or weeks getting used to using one before you go full-out.
2. Use on different muscles. A lot of runners/athletes use foam rollers specifically to relieve pain in their IT band. But you can do so much more with it than that! Try using it on other muscles as part of your regular stretching routine after exercise. I’ve been able to stretch out muscles using my foam roller that I didn’t even know I had!
3. Foam-roll on your “rest day.” Foam rolling is great to do even when you haven’t exercised! It stimulates the blood flow in your muscles which makes them less tight on your days off.
4. Use before and after working out. Foam-rolling before a workout helps to “warm up” the muscles. Using a foam roller after a workout helps promote muscle recovery. I’m always less sore the next day if I use a foam roller after a tough strength routine.

Here’s a great site that shows you how to do specific foam roller stretches with video!

(Disclaimer: RumbleRoller did not compensate me for this review. I’m just a huge fan of their product! I am not a doctor or a health professional. Please consult your physician before using a foam roller.)

Were givin’ away a foam roller!

Hey guy’s Maren here! Wasn’t that a great post? To start off our Weekend of Giveaways {and celebrate the first Guest Post EVER here on Maren’s Morsels} I’m giving away a foam roller.

I’ve always wanted a foam roller. I used them in PT after my ankle surgery and it’s crazy how much a little roll of foam can help the body.

After reading Miranda’s post I starting thinking about how much more awesome a textured roller would be. I only used a basic white foamy one at therapy. So I did some searching and found the perfect one!

I picked the EVA Foam Roller because it’s cost effective, and I figured some of you might be looking to invest in a roller. Don’t get me wrong, the rumble roller looks 9 ways of awesome. I also like these because they come in the most fun colors, which just makes this giveaway a teeny bit more fun!

• mystic purple
• tea leaf green
• cool grey

This is what the Power Systems Website says about this roller:

POWER SYSTEMS BRAND. These rollers are just like our Premium EVA Rollers but have a textured surface that helps to add comfort during myofascial release.

Foam Rolling or Body Rolling is a form of self-massage used by fitness enthusiasts, athletes and therapists to relax or “release” tight muscles. This form of massage is designed to increase elasticity of connective tissue therefore relaxing the muscles allowing them to respond more efficiently and effectively during activity.

Foam Rollers can be an invaluable tool for core development, stabilization and strengthening. Foam rollers can also be used to enhance balance for everyday activities or sports. Rollers come in various sizes ranging from 12” up to 36” in length and are usually 6” in diameter in full or half models. The longer rollers are typically used for massage as well as postural alignment. Whereas the shorter rollers are ideal for acute massage or make an excellent travel companion for on the road self massage. The half round versions are sometimes used to enhance some balance exercises or to decrease the need for balance for other exercises. Either way, foam rolling is a bonus to any exercise routine!

1 person will win this amazing giveaway. I’m sort of envious because I don’t have one.

To win please leave me a comment telling me:

what your favorite ice cream topping is! And what color you’d most like to win?

for an extra entry you can:

• tweet “@marentweets is giving away a FOAM ROLLER! I’m entered, are you? http://www.marensmorsels.com/?p=17582”
• like my facebook page in my left sidebar

leave me comments that you did each of these! 1 winner will be picked on Monday 6/11.

Tagged as: foam roller, giveaway, health, workout