Rest 'n Roll

The power of the purple!

I love the long run, but hate the muscle soreness that comes afterward.  Enter the Foam Roller.  I've had some questions about it lately, so I'll go more in-depth since it's my rest 'n roll day.

In January, I used a holiday gift card to pick up the Gaiam Stretch and Strength Foam Roller Kit (foam roller + DVD).  A foam roller is a firm foam log about 6" in diameter.  It can easily be picked up for under $20.  When placing the weight of your body against the roller, it works to place direct pressure on muscles.  Think of it as a cheap massage therapist, especially if your significant other is wearing thin on the massage offers!

Simply place your body on the foam roller, and slowly roll up and down for 15 seconds on the targeted muscle group.  Putting direct pressure on a tight muscle releases tension in the tissue and flushes out toxins after a hard run.  Foam rolling is a labor of tough love... working a tight muscle in not always pleasant, sometimes even painful, but the end result is quicker recovery, injury prevention and improved performance.

RUN.  Roll.  Stretch.  Rest. 
This is the order I recommend.  After a hard workout, one should ideally roll the muscles before stretching to eliminate any knots.  When you stretch, the healthy parts of the muscle are worked, but any knots will remain unstretched.  It is also advisable to roll before a run (although I never seem to have time or remember to do that) to increase blood flow and release any tightness that may interfere with proper running form.

IT Band

While I'm certain to provide many laughs with my own demonstrations, I'll leave some examples up to the beautiful model from Runner's World!  Here's some of my favorite rolls...

IT Band

Quadriceps

Lie on your side with the roller near your hip. Move along your outer thigh while slightly leaning forward. For added stability, bend your top leg and rest your foot on the floor. Add pressure by stacking your legs.


Quadriceps
Lie with a roller placed under the front of your thigh and slowly roll your quads, from the bottom of your hip to the top of your knee. Repeat on each leg.

Hamstrings

Hamstrings

Place the roller under your thighs. Lift your hips and slowly roll from the knees to the buttocks. To increase the pressure, roll one leg at a time, turning your foot in and out.

Calves

Calves

Place a roller under one leg in the middle of the calf. Roll from the ankle to just below the knee; rotate the leg in, then out. To increase the pressure, cross the opposite leg over the leg on the roller.

More...

See complete instruction videos on the above exercises as well as the Piriformis, Abductors, Thoracic Spine and Lats by visiting HERE.

Do you foam roll? 

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