The Magical Foam-Roller

After yesterday's workout, I came home and was paralyzed...and what hurt the most was my lower back. I immediately thought I had hurt myself, or herniated a disc because the pain was so unbearable. I ended up taking two pain killers left over from my surgery and going to bed.
This morning was a joke...on me. I literally sat on the side of the bed trying to figure out how I was going to try and put my socks on. Once I got to school, everyone noticed right away that I was gimp and limping. I was in pain! And not the kind of pain that feels so good.
Talking with a co-worker who has also started a new mountain athlete program in Jackson, she suggested I find a foam roller.
I had never heard of such a device, but I was now determined to find one.
Luckily for me, my girlfriend owns her own dance/Pilates studio. After work I stopped by my sweet friend's Kari studio and she took me inside to work it out on the Pilate machines and she introduced me to the magical foam roller. I walked in hunched-over and waddling, spent thirty minutes stretching and rolling to physical bliss. I was standing up straight, my lower back was still twinging, but half of what it was when I walked in. Thank goodness!
Kari taught me one very important detail I had been missing: STRETCH! So, from now on...I will be stretching before and after each workout. And the foam roller is magical. Note to self.
As I was walking out the door she tossed me a bottle of BioFreeze. Another magical new piece of heaven. It's a liquid you run on sore muscles similar to Icy-hot, but 1000 times better. Check it out! And if you are reading this...check out Balance Studios for an amazing Pilates reformer class! Ask for Kari.
Until next time...