We run, jump and do all sorts of exercise, and our bodies take a beating in the name of fitness. Even worse: We typically don’t pay attention to what we’re doing to ourselves until we have aching knees or ankles, or a bum shoulder that limits our daily activities or creates pain.

The Recovery Methods class at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Kapolei helps combat some of the damage with techniques that loosen and relieve tight muscles and increase joint mobility. Instructor Don Pump uses hard foam rollers of varying sizes (and sometimes balls) to help loosen the muscles and joints, including neglected areas like the shoulders, hips and ankles. Pump’s students lie on the rollers and use the weight of their body to create deep massage as they move back and forth.

People who are willing to use the rollers on a regular basis will see results, says Pump, including an increase in joint range of motion, improvements in post-exercise recovery and a decrease in muscle soreness and joint inflammation.

Pump, who graduated from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2003, is heavily involved in fitness and performance athletics, volunteering with the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a member of the Hawaii state board of advisers. One of his goals is to research and implement techniques that are designed to correct muscular imbalance, rehabilitate injuries and improve strength, power, stability, balance and flexibility.

He suggests using a foam roller prior to stretching or aerobic or strength training. This class addresses soft tissue quality, joint mobilization and neuromuscular work, he says.

SETTING

Classes are held in a fitness studio in Kapolei. A couple of the walls are lined with mirrors, so it’s easy to see if you are following proper form.

BENEFITS

Rolling tight muscles over the rollers or a small ball (such as a golf ball) can help to release the myofascia, the connective tissue that covers and separates layers of muscles. The workout increases flexibility and helps prevent injury.

THE WORKOUT

Self-massage and rollers are used to treat pain and restricted motion by relaxing contracted muscles and increasing blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. We used a cylindrical foam roller and a smaller cardboard roller to work out our kinks. We slowly moved in a back-and-forth motion over the roller to create pressure to break down the soft tissue.

If it isn’t painful, you’re probably not doing it right. As I glanced around the room at other people, grimacing looks were everywhere. And there was the occasional moaning and groaning. OK, to be clear, it’s discomfort — not sharp pain — but it’s still a shock to feel pain during class since there’s typically a delayed onset of pain after exercising.

Pump says that the pain level should be around a four or five on a scale of one to 10. Once the workout was done, my body felt better — looser and more flexible.

We also did self-massage by placing our hands on our shin bone and pressing into the space between the bone and calf muscle. For me, this was excruciating. The muscle that we were working was responsible for holding up the arches in the feet.

“When you have tired feet or falling arches, it can sometimes help to relieve tension in the muscle,” Pump says.

USER REVIEW

Roni Joson, a 43-year-old Ewa Beach resident, was taking the class for the first time. “I’ve done CrossFit and total-body conditioning classes and this seemed harder,” she said. “In those classes, the pain comes after but you feel it during this one. You feel the pain while working out, but afterwards you feel good.”

Sandee Arbuckle, who said that most people show up once and never return, has been attending classes for about a year and a half. The 64-year-old Makakilo resident admits that the class is painful but she has seen positive differences. “I feel like I’ve learned more about my body,” she said. “I had a lot of tightness around one knee, and it made it hard to kneel or squat. I’ve got relief. I’ve even bought a foam roller to use at home.”

TRY IT OUT?

Anyone with tight muscles may want to give it a chance. For me, the class helped because I spend so much time sitting at my desk or in the car during long commutes, and both contribute to tight muscles.

If you are dealing with an injury, ask your doctor if these techniques will work in your situation. And if you’re prone to bruising, it may occur when using the rollers.

“Tryouts” features exercise and wellness classes and other fitness activities. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.