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.
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