A great tool for muscle recovery is foam rolling.  Using a foam roller is like having your own personal massage.  I have been using it more and more post-workout and post-run to help me work out the kinks in my quads and hamstrings, and also to help me with what I think is the onset of Achilles tendinitis.  You can also use foam rolling as a warm up exercise to get the blood flowing to your muscles before a workout or run. To foam roll, just simply place the muscle(s) on the roller while it is on the floor, and roll back and forth.  You might make this a regular part of your rest and recovery day. If you need a foam roller, you can go with the The Grid Foam Roller which has different textures for a deeper massage experience, or a OPTP Pro Foam Roller like mine (and can also be used for Pilates exercises). For a very detailed guide to the different muscles and ways you can foam rolling, Art of Manliness did a fantastic how-to overview. … [Read more...]