You don’t need to be an athlete to use a foam roller. We all use our legs every day which means we’re all prone to injury if we don’t look after ourselves. Foam rolling helps to ease soreness and improve flexibility by increasing the blood flow to the muscles.
So, how do you foam roll your legs? Follow these simple exercises to keep your legs in their best working order.
Glutes
- Sit directly on top of the foam roller so it’s right underneath your glute
- Place both hands behind you for support
- You can use your left hand to gently place your right ankle onto your left knee.
- With your hand on either your ankle or thigh, slightly lean to the right. This will isolate the gluteus maximus muscle
- Gently roll back and forth and repeat on the other side.
Hamstrings
- Sit on the ground and place the foam roller under your thighs
- Extend both legs out in front of you
- Place your hands on the ground behind you for balance and push up so that your weight is supported by your hands
- Apply pressure and slowly roll back and forth until you find a trigger point.
Calves
- Place the foam roller underneath the calf, keeping the toes pointed upwards
- Apply pressure and gently roll front to back
- You can also place one ankle over the other, stretch the toes out, and lean side to side as you apply pressure down.
Quads
- Lay on the floor face down and place the foam roller under your quads just above the knees
- Arms should be placed on the floor with the elbows under the shoulders
- Slowly push yourself backwards, rolling the foam roller up the legs
- Then change direction and slowly roll back in the opposite way.
Invest in the best kind of foam rollers
By using the above guide, you will no longer be asking how to use a foam roller for legs, you’ll be able to go ahead and soothe those sore muscles yourself.
However, for the ultimate muscle recovery, why not try a vibrating foam roller? By using innovative vibration technology, the combination of both pressure and vibration works to reduce muscle tightness, increase flexibility, and reduce next day soreness. The technique here is to find tight spots and apply pressure. This way, there is less need to physically roll but you get the same benefits.
Not only are vibrating foam rollers great for work on the legs, but you can also use a foam roller for back pain! If you're a runner, you might want to check out this post we've written on how to use a foam roller for shin splints.
