Dragi bralci, preljube bralke,
se vam je že kdaj primerilo, da vas je kdo ob koncu dneva povabil na “kozarček” za rojstni dan, pa se je vse skupaj končalo tako, da ste sredi noči krčevito povnanjali nabor žganih pijač, v katere se je preobrazil tisti prvotni kozarček, in se spraševali, zakaj za Boga vam je bilo tega treba? Ne? Meni tudi ne. 🙂 OK, lažem – pravzaprav se je ena takšna eskapada zgodila nedolgo tega in k sreči mi je Usoda naklonila, da je tisto noč bil pri meni navzoč “jinovski element” :), ki mi je kanček olajšal to celonočno torturo.
Naj bo s tem tako ali drugače – Sebahudin je spet med vami, danes že veliko bolj priseben in vsekakor za eno prekrokano noč modrejši. In ker je vikend več kot primeren čas, da se nekoliko temeljiteje posvetimo regenerativno-rehabilitacijskim metodam, si danes oglejmo članek Feel Better for 10 Bucks, ki sta ga za odlično spletno revijo Testosterone Nation družno spisali dve precej odmevni imeni s področja stabilnosti/mobilnosti ipd., Eric Cressey in Mike Robertson. Avtorja v imenovanem članku predstavita preproste, a učinkovite metode za samo-sproščanje miofascialnih žariščnih točk (self-myofascial release) s penastim valjem (foam roller). Preden resignirano dvignete roke od tipkovnice in me trikratno pošljete v predel matere, od koder ste privekali na svet, naj povem – in tisti, ki jim je omenjena metoda znana, lahko to potrdijo -, da je celotna reč veliko preprostejša, kot se morda sliši, poleg tega pa je tudi silno uporabna. Zato vas lepo prosim za kanček potrpešljivosti. Kaj je torej samo-sproščanje miofascialnih žariščnih točk s penastim valjem?
Self-myofascial release (SMR) on a foam roller is possible thanks to the principle known as autogenic inhibition. You’ve likely heard of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) at some point in your training career [em, ne :)]. The GTO is a mechanoreceptor found at the muscle-tendon junction; it’s highly sensitive to changes in tension in the muscle.
When tension increases to the point of high risk of injury (i.e. tendon rupture), the GTO stimulates muscle spindles to relax the muscle in question. This reflex relaxation is autogenic inhibition. The GTO isn’t only useful in protecting us from injuries, but it also plays a role in making proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching techniques highly effective.
The muscle contraction that precedes the passive stretch stimulates the GTO, which in turn causes relaxation that facilitates this passive stretch and allows for greater range of motion. With foam rolling, you can simulate this muscle tension, thus causing the GTO to relax the muscle. Essentially, you get many of the benefits of stretching and then some.
It’s also fairly well accepted that muscles need to not only be strong, but pliable as well. Regardless of whether you’re a bodybuilder, strength athlete, or ordinary weekend warrior, it’s important to have strength and optimal function through a full range of motion. While stretching will improve the length of the muscle, SMR and massage work to adjust the tone of the muscle. Performing one while ignoring the other is like reading T-Nation but never actually lifting weights to put the info to good use.
Na kratko: s samo-sproščanjem miofascialnih točk lahko sprostite mišice (prilagodite tonus), odpravite boleče točke v njih in s tem izboljšate njihovo gibljivost. Tako kot pri vseh ostalih (pomembnih) stvareh v življenju pa sta – če želimo okusiti njene pozitivne učinke – potrebna doslednost in vztrajnost:
SMR on the foam roller offers an effective, inexpensive, and convenient way to both reduce adhesion and scar tissue accumulation and eliminate what’s already present on a daily basis. Just note that like stretching, foam rolling doesn’t yield marked improvements overnight; you’ll need to be diligent and stick with it (although you’ll definitely notice acute benefits).
Kaj točno pa potrebujemo za kakovostno samo-sproščanje miofascialnih žariščnih točk?
1) 6″ foam roller (either the 1′ long or 3′ long version)
2) Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” CD
3) A leopard-skin thong
4) Two quarts of baby oil to lube yourself up
Note: If you thought we were really serious on numbers two through four, you need to get your mind out of the gutter and find a new favorite website!
Skratka, potrebujemo le penasti valj (foam roller), tangice z gepardskim motivom in otroško olje pa pustite za kako drugo priložnost. 😉 In kaj točno je penasti valj? Gre za čudo, ki je videti takole:
Penasti valj si lahko bodisi kupite ali pa si ga naredite kar sami. Prilagam en tak “naredi-si-sam” video, ki sem ga našel na blogu Rossa Enamaita:
Tukaj pa je še kratek članek z napotki za izdelavo penastega valja (preprosto in poceni).
Tako. Ko imate enkrat penasti valj, je čas za akcijo:
These [foam rolling] techniques are actually very simple to learn. Basically, you just use your body weight to sandwich the roller between the soft tissue to be released and the floor. Roll at a slow pace and actually stop and bear down on the most tender spots (“hot spots”). Once the pain in these spots diminishes, roll the other areas.
In order to increase the pressure on the soft tissue, simply apply more of your body weight to the roller. The simplest way to do this is by either moving from working both legs at once to one leg, or by “stacking” one of your legs on top of the other to increase the tension.
As you get more comfortable with SMR, you’ll really want to be bearing down on the roller with most (if not all) of your body weight. As with almost anything in the training world, there’s considerable room for experimentation, so you’ll definitely want to play around with the roller to see what works best for you. Be careful to avoid bony prominences, though. (Insert your own joke here.)
One other technique we’ve found to be beneficial is to work from the proximal (nearest the center of the body) to the distal (away from the center of the body) attachment of the muscle. For instance, instead of working your quadriceps from top to bottom all in one shot, shorten your stroke a little bit. Work the top half first, and after it has loosened up, move on to the bottom half.
This is an important strategy because as you get closer to the distal muscle-tendon junction, there’s a concomitant increase in tension. By working the top half first, you decrease the ensuing tension at the bottom, essentially taking care of the problem in advance.
V članku boste nato našli nadrobni tekstovni in slikovni material, ki ponazarja in razlaga, kako “obdelati” specifične skupine. K temu prilagam kratek filmček, na katerem Cressey demonstrira uporabo penastega valja (zaporedji v članku in na filmčku nista identični, sta pa razmeroma podobni):
Samo-sproščanje miofascialnih žariščnih točk pa lahko dosežemo tudi z drugimi pripomočki: žogicami in manjšimi (masažnimi) palčicami. Toplo priporočam, da si preberete tudi kratek, a izčrpen vodič za učunkovito samo-sproščanje Myofascial Release: Purpose, Methods and Techniques, ki ga je izdelal in objavil že omenjeni Mike Robertson in v katerem so poleg tehnik z penastim valjem opisane še metode z uporabo žogic in masažnih paličic.
Dejstvo, da si večina med nami ne more vsak teden privoščiti masaže, še ne pomeni, da bi morali biti prikrajšani za njene blagodejne učinke. Prikazane tehnike za samo-sproščanje miofascialnih žariščnih točk so – če jih izvajamo redno in dosledno – razmeroma dobro nadomestilo za obiske pri maserju (še bolje pa se obnesejo kot dopolnilo k masažno-terapevtskim pristopom), zato so nedvomno nekaj, kar je dobro pridati na svoj seznam regenerativno-rehabilitacijskih tehnik (o slednjih je pred kratkim pisal tudi blogerski kamerad Domen v članku Vzamimo si čas za regeneracijo – če nemara potrebujete še kakšno dodatno idejo v tem oziru).
Dragi bralci, preljube bralke, želim vam lepo, sproščeno in ne-zakrčeno nedeljo.
Radi se imejte! 😉
Vaš S.
Vse poti vodijo v gym 