Running News Daily

Four easy and effective ways to relax your feet and legs before your next run

It’s important to be properly prepared for your next run. A lot of people overlook the importance of warming up their muscles before they start running, and that can lead to injury. One way you can warm up your legs is by using a foam roller or rolling pin if you don’t have one. This will help loosen up any tight muscles, which will make it easier for you to run when the time comes!

1.- Massage Chair

You can use a massage chair to relax your lower legs and feet. You should be able to find this at department stores or online retailers like Amazon. It’s pretty self-explanatory how it works – you just plug the machine in, sit back and let it do its job! We recommend finding a premium massage chair that comes with different modes (tilt pressure, intensity of vibration/heat). These are good because then you’ll have a variety of options on which setting will work best for what your needs may be at that time. Once again, if you’re using these types of gadgets regularly we suggest wearing socks as opposed to going barefoot otherwise you risk damaging other parts of your body by slipping relative to the surface where the device is located.

2.- Use A Foam Roller Or Rolling Pin

You can use a foam roller or rolling pin to roll out your calves and feet. If you don’t have a foam roller, use a tennis ball or rolling pin to do the same thing. When you find tender spots in your legs and feet (you will), hold that spot on the roller for 15-30 seconds without moving it – this is called trigger point therapy and can help relieve muscular tension. It helps to release tight muscles. It can help reduce pain, increase circulation and relieve soreness in your legs. For those of you who don’t run every day – it’s good if you’re recovering from an injury or haven’t done any exercise for some time (like me). You can use them on other parts of the body like the upper back as well!

You should be able to find these at sports stores or by searching online retailers. We recommend buying one that is firm but not too hard so that it feels uncomfortable when used properly. If you have sensitive skin, try putting a towel over top first just to protect yourself before applying pressure with the implements mentioned above onto your calves/feet.

3.- Compression Socks

Compression socks can help keep your legs and feet warm, which is important to avoid injuries such as muscle cramps. A lack of blood flow to the muscles in your lower body can result in leg cramping during a run.

Compression apparel like calf sleeves or compression socks reduce inflammation and increase circulation that will assist with warming up those areas. This is especially helpful before running on cold days when you’re more susceptible to injury.  Your clothing choices play an essential role as well because if you wear loose pants over top of your compression garments they could bunch up around your ankles making it hard for them to do their job properly – therefore reducing any benefits from wearing them.

4.- Yoga

Yoga has many health benefits, including relaxing your legs and feet. It’s no secret that yoga is good for you in the long run – but what some people don’t realize is how it can also benefit runners before they run!  The best part about this solution is that it doesn’t require any extra gadgets or equipment to implement into your life. All it requires on your end is using up an hour of free time where you’ll stay off of your feet (yes – even if you’re lying down) to relax them after getting home from work or school so they are ready to go when the next day comes around again. Here’s a list of simple poses anyone can do at home: Child pose, Bridge Pose, Corpse Pose, Happy Baby.

You may also want to try the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) sequence – this is a traditional yoga series that stretches your entire body and can help loosen up any tension in your lower limbs as it did for me! I suggest checking out some tutorials online before attempting them on your own so you know exactly what position requires what kind of flexibility/level of intensity.

To have a successful run, it’s important to take care of your body. One way is by taking the time before and after a workout to relax your legs and feet. This will help you recover more quickly from running so that you can get back out on the road sooner! A longer recovery period means less chance for injury because muscles are not overworked or strained while recovering which also prevents long-term problems like tendonitis or plantar fasciitis.