Happy Sunday!
Foam rollers, lacrosse balls, massage, and other fancy recovery tools rightfully so get a lot of the buzz. But an underutilized way to help with recovery, just elevating your legs. The only work involved is sliding yourself to a wall or propping your feet on a bench or couch.
The original concept was that it helps remove “Lactic Acid” from the body. Yeah no one knows.
Straight Leg
Bent Leg
Benefits:
- It can help with edema that build up in your feet and legs after a long run, because your feet and legs do swell.
- It is a relaxing pose, which helps influence the nervous system to be in the “rest and digest” mode.
- It can provide a nice passive stretch of the hamstrings (if straight legged).
- It also may help with some low back pain
Coaching Cues:
- Prop your feet or legs against the wall or on the bench
- Hang out for 10-20 minutes
- Nice relaxed diaphragmatic (belly) breathing
- Integrate after long runs, heavy lifts, speed work days