15 Things That Happen When You Foam Roll, As Told by ‘Arrested Development’ Gifs
Foam rolling: It’s one of those things that we know we should do, but when it comes to actually doing it, it’s an easy thing to push off until later...and later...until you’re jolted awake at midnight with the panic that you did in fact forget to foam roll—in some cases, for the past six months.
We hear you, we see you. But real talk? Foam rolling offers some serious benefits, and we could all do a better job of making it a regular part of our workout routine. Just a few months ago, research came out that found that foam rolling during your warmup boosted cycling speed by 0.7 percent and flexibility by 4 percent. And foam rolling during your cooldown helped reduce subsequent muscle soreness by 6 percent.
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With that said, here are 15 relatable things that happen when we dust off—and actually use!—the ol’ foam roller.
When your riding buddy asks if you want to foam roll after your workout:
When you tell yourself you’ll definitely foam roll when you get home:
What you actually do when you get back from your ride:
That moment of panic you have when you’re about to go to bed and realize you haven’t foam rolled yet...
So you dig out your foam roller from the back of your closet...
And can feel it taunting you as you get into foam-rolling position:
When you begin to roll out your quads and are instantly reminded that this is the first time you’ve done so in months...
But you keep at it, moving to your hamstrings next:
And then realize you should probably hit your calves, too:
What you imagine your face looks like in the midst of all the pain:
When you close your eyes and try to find your happy place:
When you know this would all be so much easier if you actually foam rolled regularly:
When you are so glad you’re finally done...
But then you try to get up off the floor:
When you promise yourself you’ll make a habit out of foam rolling more often:
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