6. Foam rolling
“If you’re new to foam rolling you should understand that this is fairly intuitive and not some crazy magic that you need to stay away from. Start rolling, see what feels good and keep moving through those tight spots. Mobility should be uncomfortable, not painful, so if it hurts, STOP.”Joe AielloThink of it as self-massage, with the same benefits. Aiello said many gyms are now equipped with foam rollers for you to roll out the areas you worked on the most. In general, Aiello said the four main spots to hit are the whole back, the glutes, the quads, and the hamstrings.
Don’t be intimidated by this method of active recovery if you’ve never tried it before.
“If you’re new to foam rolling you should understand that this is fairly intuitive and not some crazy magic that you need to stay away from,” Aiello said. “Start rolling, see what feels good and keep moving through those tight spots. Mobility should be uncomfortable, not painful, so if it hurts, STOP.”
Tender spots, however, are the golden ticket. So hang out there and roll those spots a little bit longer.
WHAT TO AVOID:
In general, it’s probably in your best interest to skip common treatments like icing your muscles or taking NSAIDs like Ibuprofen after workouts. While they help with the after-burn soreness, they put a damper on actual muscle recovery and building.
