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Move of the Day: Foam Rolling Your IT Band

Posted April 30, 2008 at 09:00 AM by Lindsay Hutton

Section: Her Fitness, Move of the Day, Training Programs, Her Health, Her Motivation, tip for today

foam Many people who work out, runners especially, often complain of having a tight IT band. IT stands for iliotibial tract, and it runs down the sides of your legs. The following move, done on a foam roller, is an excellent way to relieve tightness in your IT band. Completing this move on a regular basis will not only make you feel better, but will most likely improve your cardio workouts as well.

To begin, lie the foam roller on the ground. Lie on top of the roller on your side, so it is positioned just below your hip. Your legs should be resting on top of each other. Raise your bottom leg slightly so it is not resting on the ground. Support your upper body by resting on your elbow, and keep your head in a “neutral” position by keeping your ears aligned with your shoulders. Slowly roll your body up and down the foam roller, from just below your hip to just above your knee. If you find a specific spot that is especially tight, allow the roller to rest on it until the pain diminishes by 50-70%. Complete this move on both legs.

Keep in mind, foam rolling can be very painful, depending on how tight you are. Start off slowly, but stay consistent. The more you do it, the better you’ll feel in the long run!

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Tags: flexibility, foam rolling, foam rolling your it band, it band, it band stretches, self myofascial release, stretching, women's flexibility, women's health, women's strength

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5 Responses to “Move of the Day: Foam Rolling Your IT Band” (Leave a reply)

Spunky said:

The directions say that the bottom leg should not be resting on the floor, but in the picture her bottom leg has the foot on the ground--which is correct?
April 30, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Alexandra from everywhere said:

Hey Spunky,

The picture is a bit different from the specific move described. Keep in mind that you can do variations on the poses! Sometimes it takes a few different moves to really figure out how to best target the specific area.

Thanks for pointing that out!
April 30, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Spunky said:

So in order to roll out my IT band should I do it with legs off the ground or foot down, opposite leg crossed over?
April 30, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Alexandra said:

Hey Spunky,

Give it a try both ways! See what works best for you. Believe me, you’ll know when you are targeting your IT band.

~Thanks for reading.
April 30, 2008 at 05:08 PM
Frances said:

I finally get how important this is. I was sidelined shortly after my first 5k and spent the entire summer doing physical therapy only to have it come back like a pinching sensation on the outside of my knee area. I was doing all the strength stuff and just thought stretching wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ve now read a few articles about just how important it is and now I leave time to stretch a LOT, all my leg muscles. This, of course, in addition to strengthening because weak legs and hips just make it worse.
May 1, 2008 at 01:26 PM