I can no longer function as an adult ballet dancer without my foam roller!
I've had my foam roller for years, but really didn't understand how beneficial it could be until I started getting massages a few months ago. Finding out just how tight the state of my muscles had become was kind of devastating, but having discussions about the steps to take to release them back to normal gave me hope, and a mission, to get them there. Foam rolling has always been painful for me, and I wasn't sure if that pain was good or bad, so I avoided it. Now I know the difference between good and bad pain so I can work on my own in addition to my massage appointments.
I roll out after every class now because it eliminates feeling stiff the next day! I'm currently focusing on my calves (my massage therapist says they "are a mess!"), my hips, my quads, and my back. I also take time to stretch since we don't normally focus on long stretches in class. My flexibility is the lowest it has ever been in my life, so I'm trying to stay hopeful that if I can keep up with consistently stretching and rolling out that I can get back to where I "expect" and want myself to be. I have always loved stretching, so this is new territory for me to be in so much pain doing it!
All that to say, if you find yourself feeling stiff the day after class, try rolling out your muscles after class to see if that makes a difference for you! (And if you're not sure how to, here's a good starting point).
2 comments
It's so interesting that you should post this now! My ballet teacher just suggested to me that I use a foam roller because of some muscle pain I had spoken about with her (that was actually preventing me from doing my best in class). I'm in the middle of researching them and trying to figure out which one I should purchase (why short or long? how firm?). Thanks for the link to the article; I will definitely be looking at it!
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