Self-Mysofascial Release to Improve Fitness Performance

Most of you who have been training Capoeira frequently or for many years are probably doing so several times a week. Of all the activities you are putting your body through, are you balancing your training with enough stretching and foam rolling? Or are you constantly sore, achy or tight? Working out is only half the battle, the other half is the maintenance work...the often neglected part which will improve your fitness performance in Capoeira in the long haul. Many Capoeiristas love to work out yet they don't put enough time into stretching and foam rolling all the muscle knots that build up time after time. Eventually, this can lead to pain, increased tightness and quite often, injuries, which may or may not result in surgery to correct the situation. Why wait until it's too late?

Stretching is Not Enough

Stretching is still necessary and cannot be neglected, but in the case of muscle knots, stretching alone will not be enough. When you are stretching a muscle with knots, you are only stretching the healthy muscle tissue. This will not get rid of the knot.

Self-Myofascial Release (SMR)

Self-myofascial release (SMR), also known as foam rolling, is a body work technique in which gentle and sustained pressure is applied on the soft tissues while traction is applied to the fascia. Fascia is a dense connective tissue that exists, uninterrupted from head to toe, which surrounds muscles, bones, nerves and joints and provides support and protection to the body. Over time fascia builds up knots, or trigger points due to muscle trauma. These knots are basically scar tissue that have built up and prevent fascia from efficiently performing its duties. Unfortunately, when the fascia repairs itself, it leaves behind scar tissue that is very tough and can cause problems for your body over time. Repetitive stressful actions during training and your daily activities can both contribute to this fascial trauma. This in turn can cause pain, muscle tension, muscular imbalances, poor flexibility, poor posture and even tension headaches.

Self Myofascial Release (SMR) is a technique that when done properly, can return fascia to its original, flexible state. This technique results in softening and lengthening (release) of the fascia and breaking down scar tissue or adhesions between skin, muscles and bones. All you need is a foam roller - a firm, cylindrical foam log which is approximately six inches in diameter.

Key points on Foam Rolling

• Generate direct pressure from your own body weight until you find your trigger points. A trigger point is a spot of scar tissue that is very sensitive to palpation. You will definitely know when you hit one as it is an unpleasant feeling and sometimes very painful. Gently roll back and forth across the painful of stiff area for 30-60 seconds spending extra time over the knot or trigger point itself. It may feel uncomfortable and even tender at first but it will get better in time.
• Roll the injured area anywhere from one to two times a day and spend at least 10-20 minutes a day. Don't go overboard and slowly acclimate your body.
• Always stretch the area before foam rolling
• Perform foam roller sessions when your muscles are warm or after a workout
• Avoid rolling over bony areas or joints
• You can increase your session time and frequency after a few weeks

Biomechanically, Capoeiristas come in all different shapes and sizes and will therefore have different muscle pains and issues associated with their bodies. From what I see and experience in training, it seems that many people will experience some form of knee pain due to tight quads, IT bands, hip flexors, and glutes. We all have gingas and esquivas to thank for that. We are constantly using the muscles in our lower bodies to maintain a strong base during our gingas. The more we use our bodies, the more important it is to relieve and undo all that muscle tension and soreness at the end of the day. If not, we are just setting ourselves up for future injuries.

You can use the foam roller on all areas of your body, but I will discuss mainly the lower body which seems to be affected the most in Capoeira training.

IT BAND - the thick band of tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh.

It attaches at the top of the glute and tfl (tensor fascia lata) and inserts right below the knee. The tighter your IT band gets, the more it will pull and shift your knees resulting in knee pain. This is a very hard area to stretch and foam rolling works best for this part of your body.

Position your body so that you are on your side, placing the bottom leg in the middle of the foam roller with the hip on top. Top leg is bent and crossed over the bottom leg to the front, foot planted firmly on the ground. You will be supporting yourself either on your elbows or your hand. Start foam rolling up the hip and slowly roll towards the knee. Find your trigger point and hold the position for 30-60 seconds or until the pain dissipates. This may be very painful so make sure you control your breathing. Repeat on the other leg.

QUADRICEPS - front part of the thigh composed of four muscles and used in all types of squats and lunges such as the ginga and esquiva to support your body weight.

Take the foam roller and with your body face down, you will lay on top of it with the foam roller right below your groin. Place your elbows on the floor, point your toes down and gently roll forward until you find your trigger point. Legs stay off the floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Make sure you keep your core tight and your back straight so you do not place any strain on your lower back. Slowly roll back the length of the muscle until you are right above your knees. Never go over your knees.

HAMSTRINGS - back of the thigh which supports the knee and often much weaker than the quadriceps.

Sit down on the floor and place the foam roller right underneath your hamstrings and close to the back of the knee. Place your hands besides your hips and push up taking your body off the floor. You should feel pressure on your hamstrings and start to roll from the knee towards the glutes. By turning your foot in or out, this will change the angle where you feel the tension. If you do not feel this with both legs, take one leg off the foam roller to increase the pressure. Find your trigger point, hold for 30-60 seconds or until pain subsides and gently roll back and forth along the full length of the muscle.

CALF - the lower posterior part of the leg which may be tight from overuse, improper shoes, and running.

Have a seat on the ground and place the foam roller underneath the calves, closer to the ankle. Cross one leg over the other which will add the right amount of pressure to the calf. Place your hands by your hips and press your body upward to find the trigger point while you roll forward. It's ok if you cannot lift yourself up. Take 30-60 seconds to hold the position while you roll along the length of the muscle.

PIRIFORMIS/GLUTES - muscle in the glutes which helps to externally rotate the leg

Have a seat on the foam roller, cross one ankle over the opposite knee and lean towards the side with the crossed leg. Place your hands on the floor behind you. Roll up and down the glute towards the hip, then all the way down towards the hamstring on the other leg. Also roll from the center of the body to the outer edge of the hip. To create more tension, you can draw the knee in even more (this is on the leg that's crossed).

I will also reference one of my favorite SMR techniques of the upper body which is great for thoracic extension (to help open up your chest).

BACK - focusing mainly on the upper mid back to help open up your chest and improve your posture in all different types of capoeira movements.

Have a seat and place the foam roller right on the bottom of your middle back, slowly lean back and support your head with your hands interlaced behind your head. Keep your legs bent and slowly lift your hips off the floor. As you walk back, let your shoulders drop back towards the ground as your hips stay off the ground. You may hear some popping and cracking which is normal, but find your tender spot and hold the tension from 30-60 seconds. Slowly roll back and forth along your back but do not go past your lower back.

Conclusion

Unless you have the means to have a full-time massage therapist, SMR on the foam roller offers one of the most highly effective, inexpensive and convenient way to both reduce adhesion, muscle knots and scar tissue accumulation on a daily basis. Like stretching, foam rolling won't fix everything overnight. You need to make the time and the effort to incorporate your daily maintenance program. All you need is 10-20 minutes a day and less than $20 to take care of this! You can easily purchase a foam roller in any sporting goods store or http://www.performbetter.com/ which offers good quality products.

Those of you who train capoeira consistently and train hard know that stretching alone is not enough. You will constantly get muscle knots through all the activity you're putting yourself through which may also be a variety of activities outside of capoeira. One thing you don't want to incur is an injury. Therefore, it is important to take every measure necessary to prevent this from happening. Make the foam roller your new best friend. This is a great alternative to repetitive trips to the massage therapist. Not to say a good sports massage is not great, but your foam roller will always be available at your disposal.

Self-myofascial release can improve flexibility, function, performance, reduce muscle soreness, and relieve various muscle and joint pains. Also by breaking up those adhesions and muscle knots, you will be in less pain each time your foam roll. So long as you're removing them faster than your body can create new ones, you will make progress.

Just like your capoeira training, dedication and consistency will pay off. Don't forget to roll your muscles every day, it's well worth the time and your health for life!



Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Capoeira Photo by Scooby1980 via CC BY-SA 2.0
Foam Roller Photos from power-systems.com, fitter1.com, mytreadmilltrainer.com, and foamroller.co.uk