3 Foam Rolling Exercises for the Injury-Prone Runner

“Most runners who deal with IT band syndrome and tight leg muscles typically also have hip weakness, specifically in their glutes,” says Jason Hantavis, MSPT, CSCS, OCS. “Complementing foam rolling with hip abduction and glute-strengthening exercises will assist in rehabilitating an injury, or preventing one in the future.”

RELATED: 6 Exercises to Work Your Glutes

Photos by: James Carney

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Quads

Get on your stomach and place your thighs atop the roller, supporting your upper body with the elbows. “Use your arms to pull and push your body, moving the roller from your upper thighs down toward the knees,” Hantavis says. “Be careful not to roll over your kneecaps.”

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Hip

Place the outside of your thigh on the foam roller, using your arms and the other leg for support. “Roll up and down the side of your leg from your hip to your knee, but do not go up too far and roll over your hip bone,” Hantavis says. Roll for 2 minutes before switching sides.

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Hamstrings

Sit on the roller and, using your arms for balance behind you, work the roller up and down from the base of your butt to the back of the knees. Spend 2 minutes rolling on each leg.

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