Roll to release the pain
Working at a desk job might seem a mile away from working in physical labour. But both types of employment can leave workers with sore backs and tension in their legs and shoulders. That’s why myofascial release teacher Samantha Cooke (right) runs Roll & Release classes to teach the every day man or woman how to rid their body of unnecessary tension. “Myofascial release enables the body to relax into shape and aids in recovery,” she says. — Page 17
WORKING at a desk job might seem a mile away from working in physical labour.
But both types of employment can leave workers with sore backs and tension in their legs and shoulders.
That’s why myofascial release teacher Samantha Cooke runs Roll & Release classes to teach the every day man or woman how to rid their body of unnecessary tension.
“Myofascial release enables the body to relax into shape and aids in recovery,” she said.
“Myofascial tissue is the connective tissue in the body, and we work along the body’s myofascial lines, which run laterally, lineally or diagonally.
“Running along those lines with a ball aids the release of that tissue.”
She said almost anybody could benefit from learning how to perform myofascial release.
“It really is for anybody, even if they’re sedentary in their job,” she said.
“They might be restricted in their upper back or hips. Sit- ting a lot tends to shorten the hip flexors across the front.”
Ms Cooke said people who enjoyed sports could also benefit from learning how to roll and release.
“There are scientific findings that show recovery is as important to people’s health as performing exercise,” she said.
“It’s a way of giving your body a bit of love.”
But it doesn’t always have to be done under the guidance of a teacher.
“Guided practice is always best to give you an idea of how to do it and have someone check in with you to see how you’re feeling, because it can be quite uncomfortable and painful to begin with,” she said.
“But it’s a pretty intuitive process, anyone can do it at home, you just need tennis balls or a ball the same size.
“It can be quite uncomfortable on areas that hold a lot of tension, but when you start to relax … it’s what I describe to a lot of people as having their muscles ‘melt’ over the ball as their body starts to rest.
“That’s when the body is releasing and you feel amazing afterwards.”
She said the feeling is transformational.
“I used to have really bad pain in my shoulders from being at work and uni and hunching over desks and now it’s toned down a lot,” she said.
“It’s not something you do once and then you’re done with, it’s something you have to keep doing. It’s not an overnight fix.
“If you’re doing it at home you should do it as much as you like, ideally a couple of times a week.
“You can even switch it up by doing legs one day and shoulders and back the next.”
THERE ARE SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS THAT SHOW RECOVERY IS AS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE’S HEALTH AS PERFORMING EXERCISE SAMANTHA COOKE