Tight muscles? Try foam rolling. Foam rolling helps your body recover by increasing blood flow and elasticity of the muscle tissue and fascia. 

PRO Club‘s Senior Director of Fitness Services, Josh Fitchitt, breaks down how to foam roll different areas of your body to relieve soreness.

Tips for getting started: 

1) Inhale and then exhale as you slowly roll. 

2) Roll your body in small sections rather than continuously rolling the entire length of a muscle group.

Quadriceps

1. Start in a forearm plank position with the roller under your quads.
2. Bracing yourself with your upper body and core, begin to slowly roll down the roller until it reaches just above your knees. Then, roll in the opposite direction until you reach your hip flexors.
3. Do this for 30 seconds.
4. When you hit a tender spot, hold yourself there for a few breaths.

If you want to give yourself a deeper massage, you can also focus on one quad first, and then the other.

Hip Flexor

1. Start by lying down, facing the floor on the foam roller, once again in a forearm plank position. Make sure the foam roller is underneath your left hip flexor and your right leg is bent comfortably to the side.
2. Resting on your forearms, begin to roll slowly up and down and side to side on the foam roller to target the hip flexor, paying close attention to trigger points.
3. Do this for 30 seconds.
4. Switch and repeat on the right hip flexor.

Calves

1. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended, the foam roller positioned underneath your calves.
2. Lift your body up so your weight is resting on the foam roller. Cross your left leg over your right for extra pressure.
3. Begin to slowly roll your right calf back and forth on the foam roller, navigating your body forward and back with your arms.
4. Complete for 30 seconds.
5. Switch legs and focus on your left calf.

Hamstrings

1. Again, start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended. This time, position the foam roller underneath your hamstrings.
2. Lift your body up so your weight is resting on the foam roller and begin to slowly roll up and down between the back of your knees and your glutes.
3. Linger on tender spots, and roll for at least 30 seconds overall.

An alternative way to complete this is to again cross your legs and focus on one hamstring at a time. 

IT Band

1. Begin by lying on your right side with the foam roller positioned underneath your right IT band, or the side of your thigh. Rest your bodyweight on your right forearm. Your right leg should be straight, and your left should be bent at the knee with your foot placed comfortably in front of your right leg.
   2. Bracing yourself with your upper body and left leg, begin to slowly roll along the foam roller on your right IT band between your knee and glute, stopping at tender spots.
   3. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch to roll your left IT band.

Upper Back / T-spine

1. Begin by lying on your back with the foam roller positioned underneath your upper back. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor and your arms can either be down by your sides or crossed in front of your chest.
2. Brace your core and lift yourself up into a shallow bridge position.
3. Slowly start to roll up and down between your lower neck and mid-back, stopping at tight areas along the way.
4. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Lats

1. Begin by lying on your back at a 45-degree angle with the foam roller positioned underneath your right lat. Keep your right leg straight and bend your left leg into a comfortable position.
2. Slowly start to roll from your right armpit down to your mid-back area, focusing on tender areas.
3. Repeat for 30 seconds.
4. Switch to roll out your left lat.

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By Josh Fitchitt, Senior Director of Fitness Services at PRO Club

Want to get more out of your workouts? Talk with a PRO Club Personal Trainer to get personalized workouts just for you.

Contact a Physical Therapist at PRO Medical to get an assessment to learn more about injury prevention and how to maximize your performance.