According to the CDC’s Injury Prevention and Control: tips on Fall Prevention improving one’s balance and strength is the number two factor in prevention after speaking truthfully to your doctor. And the Mayo Clinic’s research on fall prevention encourages choosing activities that improve strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility.
In order to fully participate in our favorite activities, we need muscles that are supple and responsive… hard to do that with tight hamstrings and knotted feet! Foam rolling helps to gently break up knotted tissue and improve blood flow which in turn helps get a deeper stretch. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the practice of foam rolling also provides other benefits which ultimately will help with fall prevention:
- Fixes muscle imbalance
- Relieves painful muscle spasm
- Relieves fatigue after exercise
- Promotes normal blood circulation
- Makes joints flexible
- Helps repair muscles
- Improves quadriceps muscles’ range of motion
- Boosts muscle recovery
- Re-establishes proper movement patterns
- Decreases chances of injury during any activity
Aside from rocking your Vivo workouts, why else would you need to Foam Roll? Are you a gardener? To help prevent muscle soreness, fatigue, and injury after these moderate to strenuous activities an article in AARP states that heavy gardening = heavy lifting …and one of the most important things about getting in shape to garden is to stretch. And to get the best stretch, you need to foam roll!
And are you a Hiker? The most important tools in your belt for hiking are healthy feet. Cramped feet or plantar fasciitis, weak ankles, and painful arches or toes can prevent enjoyable hikes and could ultimately lead to a fall. SIXTY & ME suggests stretches to loosen the muscles in your feet, practice some self-massage (foam rolling) techniques, compression socks, and great hydration to fully experience a great hike!
Let’s Go Team Vivo… Falls with injury happen for 1/4 people but CAN be prevented. An easy first step to maintaining and/or beginning an active lifestyle is to take care of the muscles by foam rolling, then stretching, and then exercising followed by more foam rolling and stretching!
-Kristin, Vivo Care Team
