⚡️FOAM ROLLING⚡️
❓What does it do❓
✅Foam rolling releases tightness in your muscle fascia. When muscle fascia is tight, it cannot perform properly leading to other muscles overworking and then getting injured. Foam rolling also increases range of motion and blood flow 👍
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❓How do you do it properly❓
✅IT Band: Do NOT foam roll directly on the IT band. The IT band is a thick tendon, NOT a muscle that can be relieved of tightness. You need to foam roll the surrounding muscles like your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and tensor fasciae latae (TFL) to relieve tightness in that area. Lie facedown on the foam roller to roll your quads and TFL. See below for hamstrings and glutes
✅Glutes/Piriformis: Sit on the foam roller with one bent knee over the other straight leg, and roll the glute of the straight leg
✅Hamstrings: Sit on the floor and roll up and down on the back of your thighs
✅Adductors: Lie facedown with one leg extended out to the side and bent. Place the roller on that leg’s inner thigh area and use your arms and other leg to roll side to side
✅Calves: Sit down on the floor and roll one calf at a time
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👇Other tips👇
✅Foam roll SLOWLY! Spend more time on those areas of tightness. It should feel uncomfortable rather than painful
✅Don’t over-roll a sore/painful area. Us runners like to take things to the extreme, especially if we think something will make an injury better or prevent an injury. Five minutes a day on your entire body is plenty
✅The more you do it, the less uncomfortable it will be! It’s just like flossing your teeth. It hurts if you haven’t done it in awhile, but it’s no big deal if you do it everyday
✅Ease into it. Start with half of your body weight when rolling and day after day, start putting your full body weight into it
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