Try Foam Rolling Now To Relieve Muscle Pain
Tight hamstrings and calves, joint pain, and stiff muscles do athletes recognize these symptoms?
These sensations can be considerably more powerful, especially after long runs and if you've been pushing yourself. Recovery needs to be given the same amount of importance as training if you want to have the best race and pace of your career this year. If you don't take the time to give back to your body, the quality of the work that you produce won't be at its highest possible level. If you try these restorative techniques, you can improve your performance and lessen muscle pain.
FOAM ROLLING
It is quite beneficial to foam roll both before and after running. Foam rolling, commonly known as "poor man's massage," is a technique that provides relaxation by penetrating deeply into the muscle fibers. You will want to place special emphasis on the following areas:
THEIR BAND
When you run, you may find that the muscle on the outside of your thigh becomes exceedingly taut. Every athlete, including all of you runners, should roll their IT bands out on foam rollers at least once a week.
- QUADRICEPS
There are situations when hyperactive quadriceps can be the cause of hamstring tightness. Foam rolling can help relieve tension in the hamstrings by loosening up the quadriceps and offering release.
- THE CALVES AND THE SHINS
Put an end to that calf pain and those shin splints! Foam-rolling out these areas can greatly help to reduce the discomfort that is commonly experienced by runners. More information regarding foam rolling is provided in this video as well.
STRETCHING
Everyone is aware that stretching can help relax tight muscles and speed up recovery, but the question is: how many people actually stretch? Stretching is one of those activities that, in many cases, is much easier to describe than it is to really do; let's work together to change that this year! You should perform these stretches before, during, and/or after your runs, as well as on your days off. Keep each of them in your grasp for around 30 seconds.
- Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
hips that pinch? This is the ideal stretch for runners, as well as for people who spend the most of their day sitting in a chair, such as those who work at a desk or drive for a living. If you have an office job in addition to running, you should take breaks at regular intervals to perform this stretch while you are seated at your desk.
2 Standing Quadriceps Stretch
This is a stretch that most people have probably done, and it's great for the legs that get a lot of use from running. You could try completing this stretch and foam rolling out the quads before your run in order to really get them warmed up, awake, and ready for action. If you have particularly tight hamstrings or even if you have some knee pain when running, you should try this stretch.
- Standing Calf Stretch
How many of you have ever been running and all of a sudden had a cramp in your calf? If you are getting the recommended amount of potassium from bananas in your diet, you should not miss this stretch. When you do inclined runs as part of your workout routine, you must make sure to stretch your calves often.
Do you have any special methods of recuperation that you consider essential to your success? Please feel free to share them with us in the comments below.
REFERENCES
Andrade DC, Henriquez-Olguín C, Beltrán AR, Ramírez MA, Labarca C, Cornejo M, et al. Effects of general, specific and combined warm-up on explosive muscular performance. Biol Sport. 2015;32(2):123-8.
Hootman JM, Dick R, Agel J. Epidemiology of collegiate injuries for 15 sports: summary and recommendations for injury prevention initiatives. Journal of athletic training. 2007;42(2):311
Kerr ZY, Comstock RD, Dompier TP, Marshall SW. The First Decade of Web-Based Sports Injury Surveillance (2004-2005 Through 2013-2014): Methods of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program and High School Reporting Information Online. J Athl Train. 2018;53(8):729-37.
Konrad, Andreas & Tilp, Markus. (2022). A Comparison of the Effects of Foam Rolling and Stretching on Physical Performance and Range of Motion. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
McGowan CJ, Pyne DB, Thompson KG, Rattray B. Warm-Up Strategies for Sport and Exercise: Mechanisms 
and Applications. Sports Med. 2015;45(11):1523-46.
