Close Menu
RunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running MagazineRunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running Magazine
  • Home
    • About RunSociety
    • Advertise
  • Tools
    • BMI Calculator
    • Pace Calculator
    • Daily Calorie Calculator
    • Kilometers to Miles Distance Converter
    • How to Calculate Heart Rate with Heart Rate Calculator
    • How to Use The Best Ideal Weight Calculator
  • Race Calendar
    • Singapore Running Events
  • Services
    • Event Registration Platform
    • Virtual Race Platform/Software
    • Design Services
    • Join Online Races
    • Custom Product & T-Shirt Printing
    • Get Nice Photos
  • Organise a Virtual Run or Sporting Event
  • Shop Best Deals
  • Contact RunSociety
  • Submit Event
Categories
  • Community
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Gears
  • Health & Injuries
  • Highlight
  • Inspiration
  • Interviews
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Races
  • Reviews
  • Training
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
  • News
  • Community
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Gears
  • Health & Injuries
  • Highlight
  • Inspiration
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Races
  • Reviews
  • Training
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
RunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running MagazineRunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running Magazine
  • Home
    • About RunSociety
    • Advertise
  • Tools
    • BMI Calculator
    • Pace Calculator
    • Daily Calorie Calculator
    • Kilometers to Miles Distance Converter
    • How to Calculate Heart Rate with Heart Rate Calculator
    • How to Use The Best Ideal Weight Calculator
  • Race Calendar
    • Singapore Running Events
  • Services
    • Event Registration Platform
    • Virtual Race Platform/Software
    • Design Services
    • Join Online Races
    • Custom Product & T-Shirt Printing
    • Get Nice Photos
  • Organise a Virtual Run or Sporting Event
  • Shop Best Deals
  • Contact RunSociety
  • Submit Event
RunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running MagazineRunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running Magazine
Home»Training»How to Stretch and Foam Roll Your Muscles to Top Condition
Training

How to Stretch and Foam Roll Your Muscles to Top Condition

Aidan H.By Aidan H.August 2, 2016Updated:September 3, 20166 Mins Read
Facebook WhatsApp Twitter Email LinkedIn Pinterest
Stretch and Foam Roll Your Muscles to Top Condition
Share
Facebook WhatsApp Twitter Email LinkedIn Pinterest

Say you leave a big, thick rubber band in a fridge, for a couple of hours. Now say, you take it out and start yanking on it. It wouldn’t come as a surprise when it snaps and you find yourself squeezing your eyes shut, like that’s somehow going to lower the chances of an impending piece of rubber hitting your face. As ridiculous as you now feel, there’s a key takeaway here. Your muscles function the exact same way.

Your body goes into defense mode, as the muscle spindles are not braced for the rapid changes in length. It won’t literally snap, but it sounds painful already, doesn’t it? The spindles attempt to resist the change in muscle length, by causing the muscle to shorten instead of lengthening. Imagine pulling both ends of the rubber band and at the same time, have the band pulled away from you. Exactly. Ouch.

While most of us stretch before a run or exercise, some of us, are unfortunately, doing it wrong. Most of the studies done on the effects of static stretches, pre-exercise, show impairment in strength and power.

This phenomenon is called “stretch-induced strength loss”. The main reason why this happens, is still unclear. Although some may suggest neural factors for causing it. So, what would be the ideal way to warm up before a run then?

Dynamic warm–ups allow you to gently stretch your muscles to prepare for the work that it is going to be put through. Here are some dynamic stretches that you could use prior to your runs, to keep those muscles intact and functioning at their best.

1. Straight Leg Raises

Bend one leg. Keep your core tight and raise straightened leg to get the hamstring stretch. Your core should be tight during the movement as well.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Straight Leg Raises.

2. Lunges

Lunges are great to fire up the quads. Make sure you drive from your heels.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Lunges.

3. Leg Swings

This exercise best simulates the movement patterns of a run. Keep your core tight and squeeze your glutes as your legs extend.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Leg Swings.

4. Straight Leg Shuffles

The hip flexors are one of the more neglected muscles during a warm-up. Keep core tight and legs straight. Lead with the heels.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Straight Leg Shuffles.

5. Swing Through Forward Skip

This is a progression from the Leg swings warm up.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Swing Through Forward Skip.

People often say, “There’s a huge knot in my back”, or “Help me press that tight spot in my neck”. These knots are muscle fibres that have gotten stuck together. When there is a lack of movement, the muscles become less mobile and then begin adhere to each other, creating that uncomfortable, incredibly detestable, knot. So, how do we get rid of these knots properly on your own?

Two words. Foam rolling.

Foam rolling can assist in breaking up muscle knots, to ensure normal blood flow and optimal muscle function. It is essentially, self-massage with the advantage of you being able to control the amount of pressure you apply. By putting pressure on the ‘knots’, from a neural perspective, the Golgi Tendon Organ sends signals to the muscle spindles to relax.. Try these foam rolling exercises to help you break up those pesky, bothersome knots.

There are 2 main movements in foam rolling, Cross Friction and Spanning. These movements help to facilitate the removal of knots by exposing a larger region of the targeted areas.

Cross Friction – Its purpose is to maintain mobility within the soft tissue structures, in particular, the muscles. This helps remove any scarring and knots within the tissue. Pressure is applied to the targeted area and is rubbed until any pain and discomfort is dissipated.

Spanning – Here, the pressure is applied at a 90-degree direction. Spanning helps open up the muscle fibres as the pressure is applied perpendicularly, right across the muscle fibres themselves.

1. Glutes Roll

Position the top of your glutes on the foam roller. Lean slightly onto the leg that you are working on and roll down towards the crease where your glutes meet your hamstrings. Repeat the exercise 4 times ,followed by cross friction of the area 6 times.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Glutes Roll.

2. Adductors

Position yourself with one knee raised to your side. Place the foam roller on the inside of your thigh. Roll down from the mid-thigh towards the top of the knee. Repeat this 4 times, followed by cross friction 6 times.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Adductors.

Interested in learning the right techniques to Foam Rolling? Virgin Active Raffles Place offers Stretch & Roll classes three times a week. Book a free tour and get a free gift worth S$39.95* here!

3. Hamstrings

Sit on the roller with one leg extended. Have your arms resting behind you and lean slightly onto the extended leg. Roll from the base of the hamstring (where your hamstring meets your calves), to middle of your hamstrings. Repeat this 4 times. Span 6 times at the middle of the hamstrings and repeat the exercise to the base of your glutes. Span again at the top of the hamstrings.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Hamstrings.

4. Calves

This is set up in the same way as the hamstring roll. Bear in mind, that you should avoid rolling on the Achilles tendons. Begin the roll from the region where your calves meets the Achilles tendon and roll towards the middle belly. Repeat this 4 times and span 6 times at the middle belly. Roll up slightly below the back of the knee 4 times and span 6 times.

Foam Rolling and Stretching: When and How?
Calves.

Interested in learning the right techniques to Foam Rolling? Virgin Active Raffles Place offers Stretch & Roll classes three times a week. Book a free tour and get a free gift worth S$39.95* here!

So, which is better? They both sound pretty great don’t they? Well, the best thing you could do, is to do both. Going back to the rubber band, imagine it is now entangled with knots. As we pull the band more, the knots begin to get tighter. That happens to your muscles when you do not get rid of the knots quickly. In other words, knots equal lesser flexibility, which translates to greater injury risks.

Foam rolling will complement dynamic warm ups, as it allows for a greater fluidity in movement, without restriction, all the while priming your muscles for top quality movement and performance.

Like with all good things in life, remember not to overdo it! Using the foam roller too much will leave your muscles too relaxed. Now we know that sounds pretty amazing, but it’s just not ideal for a run!

*Terms and conditions apply

All photos are contributed by Virgin Active Fitness Clubs.

advertorial Race Training Running Tips
Share. Facebook WhatsApp Twitter Email LinkedIn Pinterest
Aidan H.
Aidan H.
  • Website

Aidan is the Editor-in-Chief of RunSociety. With more than a decade of editorial and marketing experience working with over thousands of writers. Aidan has also written for several popular websites reaching millions of readers. Recognised as an expert on the web, his focus is to oversee RunSociety’s Creativity Channel, spanning a wide range of inspirational and enriching topics daily to the community. Get in touch with him if you have something to say, or want to weigh in on an interesting topic at hello@runsociety.com.

Related Posts

The Rise of Social Running: How It Benefits Your Body, Mind, and Career

February 13, 2025

How Athletes Can Loosen Tight Hamstrings with Genetics and Targeted Exercises

January 28, 2025

Runners’ Health 101: When to See a Physio, Podiatrist, or Specialist

January 7, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Updates

Get free access to the latest running event updates, promotions, product announcements and much more!

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2024: Highlights and Key Takeaways

December 2, 2024

Run For Hope 2024: How Community Spirit Fuels Advancements in Cancer Research

November 19, 2024

Run For Inclusion 2024: Celebrating a Decade of Unity and Empowerment Through Sport

November 11, 2024

Great Eastern Women’s Run 2024 Draws Record 12,000 Participants, Raises $388,000 for Charity

October 28, 2024
RunSociety – Asia's Leading Online Running Magazine
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
  • Home
  • About RunSociety
  • Advertise
  • Contact RunSociety
  • Community Guidelines
  • Ethics Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Policies

With a commitment and pride to quality content for the running community. RunSociety is, and always has been an independent body.

Copyright © 2011 - 2025 RunSociety. All Rights Reserved. Designed & Developed In House.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.