“Muscle rollers are tools that contribute to myofascial release, and they come in the form of foam rollers, vibrating foam rollers, trigger point balls, vibrating trigger point balls, lacrosse balls, and percussion massage guns,” says Keith Hodges, founder of Mind In Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles. “Myofascial release has been proven to increase blood circulation, reduce trigger point sensitivity, combat DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), and improve muscular function/joint range when combined with active mobility exercises. These are key to improving and sustaining optimal performance when exercising because this improves recovery.” It may seem counterintuitive, but recovery is imperative for avoiding plateaus and ultimately for achieving your goals. In fact, Hodges notes that a lot of the population fails to hit their targets because they overtrain and/or underrecover. “Not only will this be less effective, but it will hurt if you apply too much pressure. It’s always best to start light with a manageable amount of pressure and then slowly increase it as your body relaxes.” Hodges adds that, while muscle rolling can be uncomfortable, “pain should never reach the point where it’s unbearable.” It’s important not to roll over an area for too long or you might experience bruising. “Rolling out can do more harm than good when rolling over the wrong areas such as your IT bands, low back, and rolling directly over a joint or bone,” says Hodges. “Another common mistake when rolling is not rolling from the origin of the muscle and progressing to its insertion,” he adds. “A simpler way is to start by rolling a muscle in the area closest to your core, and roll away from the area.” No matter what muscle rolling tool or technique you opt for, the single biggest factor to determine efficacy will be how consistent you are with the practice. Foam rolling isn’t something you can do once and expect to see results. It needs to be done, ideally, every day. “It doesn’t have to be long,” says Brannigan. “It can be five minutes. It’s best to do a little every day rather than an hour of rolling once per week.” RELATED: 4 Self-Massage Techniques That Can Help You Relax at Home