Fall into foam rolling

Can you believe it is already the middle of October?

Every day I drive down my street, another tree pops with beautiful color: the reds, the oranges, the yellows, a beautiful thing to see. 

With the beautiful fall colors, we are also reminded every October that it is time to plan our mammogram.

I was reminded of this by my sister, whose friend was diagnosed a few weeks ago with breast cancer. She found the lump quickly as she does her self-exams. This lump appeared within two weeks of her last self-exam!

I’ll be honest, each October, I say I’m going to get into the habit of doing self-exams, but then I don’t. 

The other day, while we were foam rolling in class with a pilates ball (more gentle), I was reminded of the importance of giving myself an exam. We rolled our ribs and chest, and as certain areas released, I was relieved as well as aware that this is something that is of utmost importance as I age. I will do better for myself by giving myself exams.

Here are a few other reasons foam rolling is so beneficial:

Foam rolling is a great way to get to know your body better. Does it hurt sometimes? Yes, but this is your fascia releasing.  You can learn whether your muscles are tight or if the bump is a cause for concern.  

The foam rolling process also helps calm the nervous system, which benefits us by keeping our stress levels manageable. If we are in fight or flight, this may be a good way to help you enter a rest and digest state.

Having the ability to address your own muscle tension without relying on others is empowering.  We all love a good massage, but we can’t get there every day, so enjoy your time with your foam roller.

Making a habit of foam rolling and breast self-exams is a helpful way to take care of our health and manage our stress levels.

Foam rolling hamstrings