There are more than a few workouts — from running to spinning to strength training — that can leave your lower-body crying in soreness. Never fear! You can speed up the recovery process and be back on your feet in no time by releasing tightness in your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves and feet. All you need is a foam roller plus a small round object, like a tennis or lacrosse ball, to get started with the self-massage process (aka self-myofascial release, or SMR). And while it’s no cake walk — rolling out taxed muscles can make even the toughest gym rats cringe — the benefits are worth it.
Foam rolling has been shown to help rid the body of tension and uncomfortable adhesions in the muscles and connective tissues, while improving overall mobility — and possibly flexibility, too. Follow along in the video below as DailyBurn trainer Lindsay breaks down the best way to target those pesky trigger points. Time to get rolling!
Foam Rolling 101: Lower-Body Release
Want to learn more about the most effective (and efficient) ways to foam roll? Get familiar with the most common foam rolling mistakes — and how to avoid them! And once you’re ready to go, head to DailyBurn.com for more recovery videos, plus a wide variety of online workouts including Tabata, bodyweight training, yoga and more.