Becoming more and more popular among fitness enthusiasts, a foam roller is a great way to relieve muscle tension and provide some of the same benefits that a massage would.

A foam roller works great as well to help an injured athlete get back into the game. By working their torn muscles with the foam roller they can increase their range of motion and help to decrease the stiffness that the tendons and ligaments around the muscles are experiencing.

To use a foam roller, what you want to do is put it under the affected body part and then slowly move back and forth over it. Note that you will likely feel some pressure and a small amount of pain however it should not be so much that it's intolerable. At no point should you feel as though you must stop as this could indicate a larger issue at hand.

It can be used for a variety of body parts including the thighs, hamstrings, lower and upper back, shoulders, neck (do this with care), calves and shins.

Lastly, it's a good idea to perform a brief warm-up before using this piece of equipment just to ensure that your muscles are somewhat loose and limber already. If you just jump in and begin using it you will have an increased tension level and thus it will be even more work you need to do.