Fantone Fitness

I’m on a roll!

What is the foam roller for?

Well, it’s funny you asked. I was just using mine and I thought “How do people do without some sort of massage treatment on a regular basis?”

My own personal exercise routine and active lifestyle, require a good amount of stretching and massage in order to keep me flexible. It’s not only for feeling good, but for functioning effectively on a daily basis.

A few years ago, I was diving for a Frisbee when I pulled something in my neck. I slammed the ground really hard, but that didn’t seem so unusual to me until the next day. I woke up to some tingling in my fingers and a real pain in the neck.

As soon as I could, I got to the doctor who sent me for an MRI. Upon reading the MRI, I discovered that I had some bulging discs in my neck. A few muscle relaxers and some anti-inflammatory medicine quickly took care of the pain and tingling. Another visit to the doctor and I was reassured that the bulging discs had been there for a long time and it was actually good luck to have had the minor injury resulting from the Frisbee dive, because now I knew what was going on in my neck.

The end result was that I had to take some time off working out. Each time I returned to my workouts, I was OK for a while, but as I got stronger and began lifting more and more weight, I began having back spasms and constant pain. I was feeling sad and wondering if I was going to have to find another profession.

As a last resort, I went to a sports chiropractor and learned a very valuable lesson. The treatment I received was based on massage and stretching. I had a revelation! I needed to stretch!

And so began a new chapter in my life. Stretching and massage with the foam roller became a part of my daily routine. Relief was immediate. I purchased a foam roller and instruction book on Amazon. It was life changing. Now, as part of my daily routine, I stretch and roll. It’s a nice way to relax after a workout or just wind down at the end of the day. I’ve even incorporated rolling into my daily meditation, but that’s another story for another time.

Do yourself a favor and click on the roller on this page and begin a new chapter in your own personal self- care. Enjoy.