STRETCHING IS BORING and it’s hard to motivate oneself to do every day, particularly if you’re time-pressed to bash out a 40-minute run at lunchtime.
But it’s a really crucial part of running training and will not only improve how you feel during your run, it will also enhance your recovery afterwards.
10 minutes every day should be given over to stretching, first thing in the morning or last thing before bed is probably the best time, with each stretch lasting a total of two minutes.
Excited? Let’s go. The five muscle groups you should stretch are the quad muscles, the hamstrings, groins, glutes and calves.
Quad stretch
Starting position; Standing tall, grab your right foot with your right hand and bring your knees together.
Action; Then pull up – your right knee should move slightly backwards – until you feel a moderate to intense stretch on the front of the quad. Hold the stretch at a point where it’s mildly uncomfortable for 25 seconds and do the same on the other side, repeating twice.
Hamstring stretch
Starting position; Lie flat on the floor staring at the ceiling.
Action; Hook a towel (or an old bicycle tube works great too) around the sole of your foot and gently raise your leg until you pass the 45 degree angle, 60degree, maybe even 90 degrees, until the raised leg is perpendicular with the floor. Hold for 25 seconds before switching legs and repeat twice.
Groin stretch
Starting positon; Sit on a mat, bring the balls of the feet as close together as possible.
Action; Apply pressure with your elbows to push the knees down to the floor, keeping the back straight. If you’re flexible, you’ll be able to bring your feet right in close to your groin. Keep your back straight. Slowly reach head over feet and relax into the muscle, trying to open up the knees a little bit further. It’s important to relax the hips and hold for 25 seconds, repeat 3-4 times.
Glute stretch
Starting position; Lie flat on your back and bend both knees. Cross one leg over the other so your foot rests on the opposite knee.
Action; Raise both knees towards your chest and gently pull the uncrossed leg up until you feel a stretch in your glute. Hold this for 25 seconds. Repeat this twice on each leg.
Calf stretch
Stretch; Sit on the floor, legs straight out in front, your back upright.
Action; pull your feet towards yourself using a towel until a stretch is felt in the calf. Hold for 25 seconds on both legs and repeat twice.
Personally I’ve found it more important to stretch my back for road running. I used to make a half hearted attempt at the legs and neglect the back but I’ve learned the hard way.
I have the same issue , can you recommend some effective back stretches?
What works for me is bend 90° forward and swing my arms left to right and back. Then swing my arms at diagonals. It helps warm up my lower back with the rotation.
Iv found mobilty drills are just as important. Limber 11 is probably the best one out there. Iv got rid of alot of tightness in hips and lower back from that