How to... roll away the pain

AFC Wimbledon’s first-team fitness coach, Jason Moriarty, has five exercises to speed up your recovery after a game, with a little help from foam rollers

Calves

Rolling around on a bit of sponge might look like a laugh, but there’s a reason why players often do it straight after a match. “Research has shown muscle soreness peaks at 48 hours if you don’t foam roll, but at 24 hours if you do,” says Moriarty. “Rolling increases your range of motion so your legs get fresher faster.”

Quadriceps

Running, twisting and turning causes stiffness in your legs. There’s an easy way to give them some much-needed TLC. “Players perform about 54 decelerations in a 90-minute game, which reduces the range of motion of your quads. Rolling them with a long, slow sweeping motion loosens them up.”

Adductors

Sprinting and whipping crosses into the penalty area will fire up your adductors but can leave them feeling sore. Straddle your roller to sort them out. “Rolling should be done in three portions: just above the knee to work the bottom end of the femur, then the midpoint and finally to the top third near the groin area.”

Hamstrings

Kicking off your working week with burning hamstrings is no fun. Even worse, damaged hammies can increase the risk of injury. “A full range of motion is vital for performance gains and avoiding physical problems – a firmer foam roller will help to give you better results.”

Glutes

If you spend your Sunday mornings giving defenders twisted blood, your gluteus medius muscles will take a real hammering. “It’s a key area to roll because the glutes directly affect the muscles in your lower back. To do it effectively, roll back and forth in short pulses.”