Each year on May 11th, National Foam Rolling Day recognizes a therapy that’s been called the poor man’s massage. You only go to the dentist once a year, but you brush your teeth every day. While we can’t get a massage every day, foam rolling offers the next best thing! Brush your muscles daily with a foam roller.
The first foam roller was patented in the US in the 1920s, so foam rolling is nothing new. However, foam rolling is gaining momentum in recent years.
Foam rollers may offer relief from muscle aches and pain. While more research is still needed, some small studies have suggested that foam rollers may help reduce stress, relieve muscle pain related to fibromyalgia and exercise, increase range of motion, and flexibility. Foam rollers come in a variety of sizes, though they are usually cylindrical or balls. They may be smooth or have nodules for a deeper massage.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalFoamRollingDay
Explore all the benefits of foam rolling on National Foam Rolling Day. Improve your fitness, relieve muscle soreness and tension. Treat yourself to some foam rolling and relaxing time. Share with your friends on social media using #NationalFoamRollingDay.
NATIONAL FOAM ROLLING DAY HISTORY
TriggerPoint, a division of Implus Corporation, founded National Foam Rolling Day to promote the benefits of foam rolling as a fitness tool. Like any other over-the-counter fitness tool, foam rolling doesn’t guarantee medical results, but by introducing mobility into tissue that’s stuck together, tense or overused, you can expect reduced tension, better mobility, and less overall stress. TriggerPoint empowers people to reach an optimal level of movement by providing the world’s best therapeutic self-care products and education.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed the day in June of 2015 to be observed on May 11th, annually.
May 11th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1926
The coffee company Maxwell House trademarks the phrase “Good to the last drop.”
1927
Film industry leaders including Mary Pickford, Cecil B. DeMille, and Louis B. Mayer found the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
1978
Marine Margaret Ann Brewer is promoted to the rank of brigadier general. She is the first woman to achieve general officer rank.
1997
IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue defeats world chess champion and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov. It is the first time a computer defeated a world champion in a competition.
May 11th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Grant Marsh – 1834
Considered the greatest steamboat captain on the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, Grant Marsh never lost a boat in his 64-year career. He also rescued many other captains, travelers, and soldiers including survivors of Lieutenant General George Custer’s Last Stand.
Harriet Quimby – 1875
A woman of many firsts, Harriet Quimby was an aviation pioneer in the United States. She was the first woman to earn her U.S. pilot’s license. Less than a year later, Quimby would become the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She would die tragically a few months later during an event when she and William Willard, the event organizer, were accidentally ejected from the seats of the Bleriot monoplane they were riding in at 1000 feet.
Irving Berlin – 1888
Born Israel Baline in Temun, Siberia, the famous composer and lyricist immigrated to the United States in 1893 with his family 19 months after Ellis Island opened. The family had fled Siberia to escape Russia’s persecution of the Jews. Some of his most well-known songs include, “God Bless America” and “White Christmas.”
Jacqueline Cochran – 1906
Jacqueline Cochran was the first woman pilot to break the sound barrier. She also sponsored the testing for the Mercury 13. Her testimony before the house subcommittee on discrimination in the workplace at NASA played a role in delaying women’s participation in the astronaut program.
John C. Norman – 1929
Cardiothoracic surgeon, John C. Norman advanced methods for artificial hearts through research and innovation. He established the Cullen Cardiovascular Surgical Research Laboratories at Texas Heart Institute in 1972 where much of his focus centered on furthering the development of the artificial heart.
Cam Newton – 1989
Selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, quarterback Cam Newton played college football at Auburn University. He earned the Heisman Trophy in 2010 and the NFL Offensive Rookie of the year in 2011. He’s been to the Pro Bowl three times and in 2015 earned the Bert Bell Award, NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, and NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
