- Foam rolling is KEY to muscle recovery and rejuvenation. I would recommend foam rolling the whole lower body (quads, hamstrings, IT Band, glutes, and calves) twice a day to prevent injury. A LAX ball, baseball, or softball is better for the calves and hamstrings as it is a smaller surface area.
- *It is very important when foam rolling to go very slowly and controlled. This should not be a quick, rushed motion. There are trigger points/knots/pain points in every muscle in our body and so when you go over one of these knots/pain points, stop on them for at least 30 seconds to allow it to release. Then slowly roll down the muscle until the next one is found. This can be fairly uncomfortable/painful but it is GOOD pain!
- Foam roller on Amazon
- Stretch the two calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus i.e. straight leg calf stretch and same stretch but bending the knee.
- Ankle Mobility
- Wall touches: 2×20 each direction
- Swinging leg 80x each direction
- Toe Raises 20×20 (opposite of calf raises. Lean up against a wall or table and keep legs straight and slowly and controlled life up your toes onto your heels and back down)
- Dry Needling the calves
This is the cherry on top to all the work above. The technique uses a “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle. Other terms commonly used to describe dry needling, include trigger point dry needling, and intramuscular manual therapy. Dry needling is not acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists. Dry needling is a part of modern Western medicine principles, and supported by research. Dry needling is done by physical therapists and chiropractors. I recommend Dr. Meredith Bremner with FIT Colorado Physical Therapy or if you have someone you already know reach out to them. Typically 1-2 sessions in the first week and then as needed after that. It is typically $50-75/session
Find out more about the CRYSC Sports Medicine Program by visiting our website. For any question or concerns related to foam rolling, sports medicine, or athletic training, please reach out to the CRYSC Head Athletic Trainer, Julie Graves, at [email protected].
