I don't know about you, but I pronate a lot and my peroneal muscles (outside of my calves) get really tight and yucky! This sideways calf crush with the spiky ball seems to help alleviate some stiffness and tender points. By releasing the tension, I can immediately feel more range of movement around both my ankles and my knees. I always include this into my routine especially if I've increased my running distance or time! Give it a go!

Lying on your back, knees bent at 90 degrees, secure your abdominals by drawing them down towards your spine and pulling your ribs closer together (don't let the ribs flare). With a light weight, approx. 2-5kg, slowly lower the arms overhead as far as you can without letting the abs go, and without any pain in the shoulders. This is an active stretch for the lats and shoulders, as well as a core stabilizing exercise. It should not feel easy!

Here's another technique with the power band to help increase joint space in the hips. With the band securely fastened to a bolted post, loop it around the leg and bring up close to the hip, right under the buttock. Facing the anchor, position yourself in a half-kneeling position with the non-banded leg bent in front at 90 degrees. Keep your body square to the anchor and your body in an upright position. Try to maintain hip extension in the hip with the band by creating a posterior pelvic tilt - this is where you are trying to flatten the low back by tilting the pelvis "under" and engaging the abdominals. Try to squeeze the glutes as well. You should feel a light stretch in the front of the banded thigh. From here, lean forward into a deeper stretch, carefully maintaining hip extension in the banded hip. Don't bend forward to create a fold at the hips, make sure to stay upright. Hold 3-5 seconds, then release. You can raise the same-side arm up overhead to increase the full effect of this stretch. Repeat 5 times, then switch legs. The resistance of the power band will distract the joint, creating more space and alleviate the hips of that "pinching" and/or stiffness you may feel. If you have tight hip flexors, you probably have tightness in the low back as well; this can also help with low back stiffness. This is a great tool to implement into your warm-up before a Squat session, or even before a run to help improve your hip extension patterns. Give it a try, but remember to stop if you experience any pain.