"A picture is worth a thousand words"
If running is part of your training, the following exercises shared by Victor Matt Frazier should become part of your training regimen.
You can see more of Matt's great articles at his site NoMeatAthlete
Foam Roll Exercises -
For foam roll exercises, roll back and forth for 30 seconds to a minute. For tennis ball exercises, find pressure points and keep as much weight as possible on the ball for one minute.
If you've never done foam rolling before, you may find it painful at first. You should ease into it, doing only as much as is reasonably comfortable. It should become much less painful after a few sessions.
Quads - Cross your legs so that most of the weight is on one leg. After rolling on one leg, switch to the other. If this is too painful at first, roll on both legs simultaneously.
IT band - Lie on your side and place the tennis ball in a sensitive spot on the outside of your leg near your hip joint. After the desired time, move the ball farther down your leg. Switch legs and repeat.
Hamstrings - Cross your legs so that most of the weight is on one leg. After rolling on one leg, switch to the other.
Calves - Cross your legs so that most of the weight is on one leg. After rolling on one leg, switch to the other.
Glutes – Find a sensitive spot and put as much weight as possible on the ball. After the desired time, move to a new sensitive spot. Switch to the other side and repeat.
Arch - Place the ball under your foot and, with as much weight as possible, move the ball back and forth 50 times. Repeat on other foot.
Front of Shins – Keep as much weight as possible on the roll, not on your hands, while you roll back and forth.
Side of shins - Roll by alternately bringing your knees to your chest and extending your legs. Repeat on other side.
TFL (tensor fasciae latae muscle) – Extend one leg out to side for support. On the other leg, target the very top of your quadriceps near your hip, just outside the center of your leg. Don't skip this one; improper firing of the TFL muscle can cause IT band sydrome and knee pain!
Knee – Lie on the floor and place the ball just above your knee on the inside of your leg. Roll it around to find a sensitive spot and hold.
Adductor – Lie mostly flat and place the roll under your thigh. To roll back and forth, you may need to lift yourself up with your arms a bit.
Happy Rolling!
I highly recommend that all cyclists, runners, and triathletes incorporate some foam rolling into their recovery regimen. By doing so, you’ll keep the iliotibial (IT) bands and other ligaments (e.g. ACL) and tendons (e.g. Achilles tendon) more supple and loose, and subsequently help prevent common overuse injuries. Patella tracking issues such as patellofemoral knee syndrome and Achilles tendonitis are much less likely to become a part of your training and racing years if you just take a little time for these preventative exercises. When I tell my athletes to “Train Smart”, they know that stretching and foam rolling is a critical component to their recovery process and proper biomechanics. So train smart, and you’ll have better results in 2011!
ReplyDeleteCoach Parker