Day 6: Prep Your Golf Muscles With A Foam Roller

Massage has become an important part of strength-and-conditioning programs as a way of helping the body's soft tissue recover faster from strenuous activity. It also resets a muscle's length and tension to avoid pain and injury. Golfers who suffer from post-round soreness can really benefit, particularly in the early part of the golf season, but regular visits to a massage therapist can get costly. Instead, try these self-massaging techniques using a foam roller. Mark Verstegen, founder of the nationally recognized fitness company Exos, says these four treatments can help golfers where they need it the most. Foam rollers typically cost $15 to $40.

1. ILIOTIBIAL BAND
These fibers run from the outside of your hip to below the outside of your knee and serve as stabilizers when you walk or swing a club. They can become stressed, leading to a sore back, hip or knee. To release this tension, lie on a foam roller on your side so it rests just below your waist. Roll up and down along your side from your hip to just above the outside of your knee for a minute or two. Switch sides and repeat (below).

2. RHOMBOIDS, TRAPEZIUS
The muscles of your middle to upper back, including your rhomboids and trapezius fibers, help maintain your posture while your thoracic spine rotates during the golf swing. To target this area, lie on a foam roller so it's resting in the middle of your back. Slide the roller up and down between your shoulder blades and your mid-back for a minute or two (below).