Foam rolling has gained popularity as a way of reducing muscle tension, regaining flexibility and even developing strength of the core muscle groups. In this foam roller exercises for legs video you’ll see how to foam roll quads, foam roll glutes, foam roll hip flexors and foam roll hamstrings.
Also see our other videos on foam roller exercises for back and foam roller upper back exercises.
If you’ve got leg pain or sore leg muscles from walking, running, or training or standing on your feet all day, we’ve got a series of great foam roller exercises for legs that Maddi has made.
Table of Contents
Foam Roller Exercises For Legs
It can be used as a warm up sequence and to activate muscles before a work out or training session, or as a post training recovery strategy and to cool down. It can also be used to mobilise stiff areas of the spine, reduce muscle tension and to improve posture.
Foam Rolling To Relieve Muscle Tension
By using our own body weight on a foam roller, it is theorised that the compression of muscles and soft tissues in a smooth rolling manner has a similar effect to massage, reducing muscle tension and mobilising the connective tissue between the skin and the muscle and the tissue around the muscle(myofascia). It may assist to improve circulation, lymphatic drainage and reduce muscle knots and adhesions(sticking points between different layers of connective tissue).
It may also assist to reduce fatigue post exercise(1).
Are Foam Rollers Good For Legs?
There are benefits to foam rolling:
- Reduces muscle tension pre and post exercise.
- Improves muscle recovery and soreness post exercise(2).
- Improves joint range of movement/mobility of spine and other large joints(eg, hip, knee, shoulders, ankles)(2).
- Assists with reduction of fatigue post exercise(1).
- Can be used as a tool for increasing strength and control of trunk muscles.
- Can used to improve posture.
Video 1: Foam Roller Exercises For Legs
Foam rolling to improve lower body flexibility and reduce muscle tension
This video goes through a sequence of movements addressing muscle tension in the glutes, quads, adductors, hamstrings, ITB and calf muscles.
TAGS
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References
- Healy KC, Hatfield DL et al. (2014). The Effects of Myofascial Release with Foam Rolling on Performance. J Strength Conditioning Res 28(1):61-68.
- Cheatham SW, Kolber MJ et al (2015): The effects of myofascial release using a foam roll or roller massager on joint rang of motion, muscle recovery and performance: A sytematic review.
Int J Sports Phys 10(6): 827-838.
