Foam rolling
Pressing body weight into a dense foam cylinder to work through tight muscle
A length of dense foam, sometimes a ball or a shorter cylinder for feet and shoulders, that you lean body weight into and roll slowly over calves, quads, glutes, lats and upper back. Five or ten minutes either side of a session is the usual dose, though some people build it into a long block of its own before bed. Research on whether it changes soreness or performance is mixed. What practitioners describe is simpler: tissue that feels less locked up, and a warm-up that gets them moving before they load anything heavy. A basic roller costs about what two gym visits do.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Zac EfronDoes it
Actor · the Baywatch body and what it cost him
Ten or so rollers in different sizes, per Men's Health, which calls him a fanatic about it. Half an hour before he trains, then a full hour before bed.
Source: Men's Health: Zac Efron Interview on His Career, His Health, and His Next Movie - Kelly StarrettRecommends
Doctor of physical therapy · The Ready State
Saves soft tissue work for after training rather than before, on the grounds that it is the moment to tip the body back toward parasympathetic. Gut smashing on a ball before bed is the one he names most often. Teach kids to smash out their calves on a roller, he says, and they sort the rest out themselves.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Kelly Starrett Q&A, episode 85 transcript
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or stress.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Sports massage
Regular hands-on soft-tissue work from a trainer or therapist
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Tennis
Singles or doubles on court, played as a lifelong sport rather than a workout
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Grappling practice used as training, stress relief and humility
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.