Welcome back to our Move With Us series! We’re grabbing those foam rollers again but this time focusing on our lower bodies.

Our leg muscles are often quite neglected when it comes to stretching and cool downs after exercise, despite doing a lot of the heavy lifting when we work out. We target the major muscle groups in this video to achieve a global release through the lower body. This series is great for anyone after exercise or even to relieve tension from sitting down at your desk all day.

Foam rollers are a great tool to help with stretching, mobility and muscle release but we know so many foam rollers just sit in the corner unused! We’re using a 45cm foam roller, but a 30cm roller will work perfectly too. So grab your rollers and Move With Us!

Quads Release

• Our quads run down the front of our leg from our hips to our knees

• Lie on your front and place the roller underneath one thigh, with the other bent to the side for support

• Using your forearms to help, roll up and down the roller feeling the release through the thigh/front of the leg

• Repeat 6-10 times each leg or more if needed

ITB Release

• Our ITB (iliotibial band) runs down the side of the leg, from the hip to the outside of the knee

• Roll onto your side, so that the roller is positioned on the outside of your leg

• Place your other leg in front to help stabilise

• Roll up and down the roller, feeling the release down the side of the leg

• Repeat 6-10 times each leg or more if needed

Glutes Release

• Our glutes are over our buttocks but attach into the side of the hip which is where we will be rolling them out today

• Staying on your side, lift your supporting leg up and over your rolling leg so that you are now slightly facing the ceiling more

• Roll up and down the roller, feeling the release through the glutes

• Repeat 6-10 times each leg or more if needed

Hamstring Release

• Our hamstring run down the back of the leg, running from the bottom of your pelvis to the knee

• Place the roller under your leg, between your hip and knee

• Position the other leg to the side to help balance

• Roll up and down the roller, feeling the release down the back of the leg

• Repeat 6-10 times each leg or more if needed

Calf Release

• Our calves are made up of two muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus, and run from the knee to the ankle down the back of the leg

• Cross one foot over the other and place both legs on the roller

• Slowly turn your feet from one side to the other so that the roller massages through the calves

• You can move the roller up and down to target different parts of your calf muscles

• Repeat 6-10 times each leg or more if needed

We hope you found this helpful! Feel free to repeat this series multiple times through out the week and keep Moving With Us. If you have any questions or need any advice on any of these exercises, please don't hesitate to reach out and chat to us.

Remember that you shouldn’t feel pain during any of these exercises. If they are painful for you, consider avoiding that exercise or decreasing the intensity. We are always here to help if needed.

If you’re after some more advice or are in need of some hands on help, we’d love to see you at Collective Motion! Collective Motion offers Osteopathy and Pilates and is conveniently located to service our Bentleigh community as well as its surrounding suburbs including Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Ormond, Glenhuntly, Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Oakleigh, Gardenvale, Brighton East and Hampton East. Click below to book an appointment and let us help you get moving again.