It’s no secret that runners need mobility and flexibility, but when it comes to the best stretches for runners, there’s some debate about the best practices. How exactly should runners stretch? Is there a specific stretching routine to keep us healthy and ready for optimal performance?

Here’s what we know for a fact: regular stretching is the single most important thing you can do to keep your body limber, prevent stiffness, and limit injury. And it’s not a mystery—there is a right way to stretch, including the timing and technique.

This ten-stretch program for runners was developed by Gerard Hartmann, an injury therapist who has worked with over 70 Olympic medalists and world-record holders, including and Khalid Khannouchi.

It’s a simple, step-by-step stretching routine that Hartmann advises all his athletes to incorporate into their training.

How to Perform This Lower Body Stretch Routine

Do the stretching routine in the order listed below. It typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

These moves follow a natural progression from one muscle group to the next. You can do these before running, because these are active stretches. However, you can do them after running to regain tissue flexibility.

Hold each stretch for two to four seconds. Return to the start position and repeat each stretch eight to 12 times. Don’t force the stretch. Instead, gently encourage the lengthening of your muscles.

Follow the program daily to keep all the muscles you use while running limber, adding efficiency to your stride, and promoting your overall health.

FYI: Some of these moves require a resistance band or rope.

1. Single-Leg Pelvic Tilt Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Lower Back and Gluteus Maximus

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your back with your legs straight.
• Pull the left knee toward the chest.
• Place your hands behind your left thigh to prevent pressure on the knee and provide support.
• Switch sides and repeat.

2. Hamstring Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Hamstrings

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your back with your legs straight.
• Slowly lift the left leg.
• At the end of the movement, gently pull your left foot toward your body using a rope or exercise band. (If you don’t have a rope or band, use your hands to pull your left leg toward your chest gently. You can place your hands on your calf or thigh, whichever you can reach.)
• Switch sides and repeat.

Tip: Bend the opposite leg to stabilize the spine if you have a history of back injury.

3. Glute Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Gluteus Medius/Minimus and Piriformis

(FYI: This move requires a band or rope.)

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your back with your legs straight.
• Flex your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place the rope around the mid-foot, clasping the rope with the right hand.
• Use your left hand to stabilize your thigh by clasping the left knee.
• Contract your abdominals and hip adductors to lift your knee toward the opposite shoulder.
• Switch sides and repeat.

4. Long Adductor Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus, and Gracilis

(FYI: This move requires a band or rope.)

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your back with your legs extended and wrap the rope around the arch of your left foot.
• Flex your right foot.
• Lift your left leg to the side by contracting your outer thigh and hip muscles.
• Pull your leg outward (gently) with help from your rope or band.
• Switch sides and repeat.

5. Quadricep Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Rectus Femoris

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your right side and bring both of your knees to your chest.
• With your right hand, grasp the right knee from the outside.
• With your left hand, grasp the left ankle and extend the left thigh back by contracting the buttocks and hamstrings.
• Use your hand to draw your left heel close to your buttocks.
• Switch sides and repeat.

6. Hip Flexor Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Rectus Femoris and Psoas

How to Do It: 

• Kneel down on your left knee, and place a pillow or cushion under it for comfort.
• Step your right foot forward so your right leg is bent.
• Keep your pelvis and back steady by tightening your abdominal muscles.
• As you move forward, squeeze your butt and hamstrings to try to bring your left heel toward your left buttock.
• If possible, use one or both hands to gently pull your heel closer to your buttock, stretching as far as your flexibility allows.
• Switch sides and repeat.

7. Short Adductor Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Pectineus, Adductor Brevis, and Proximal Adductors

How to Do It: 

• Sit with the soles of your feet pressed together.
• Spread your thighs as far apart as you can.
• Use your arms/hands to gently press down near your knees to help deepen the stretch.

8. Composite Upper Calf, Hamstrings-Neural Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Gastrocnemius and Hamstrings

(FYI: This move requires a band or rope.)

How to Do It: 

• Sit with your legs fully extended and about six inches apart.
• Loop the rope around the ball of your left foot.
• Straighten the left leg and pull your toes toward you by contracting the shin muscles.
• For a deeper stretch, lean forward at the trunk and allow the foot to leave the floor when pulled.
• Switch sides and repeat.

9. Bent-Knee Calf Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Achilles Tendon and Soleus

How to Do It: 

• Grab a chair or stand near a counter, desk, tree, or something similar.
• Stand on your right leg and bend the knee slightly.
• Place your left foot behind your right calf.
• Hold this stretch for 8 to 10 seconds, keeping your heel on the ground.
• Switch sides and repeat.

10. Straight-Leg Calf Stretch

Muscles Stretched: Gastrocnemius

How to Do It: 

• Grab a chair or stand near a counter, desk, tree, or something similar.
• Step forward with your left foot, keeping both legs straight.
• Press your right heel into the ground while keeping the leg straight.
• Lean forward slightly from your hips, keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch in the back of your right calf.
• Switch sides and repeat.

These ten stretches first appeared in an article in Irish Runner magazine. Used with permission. 

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The post The 10 Best Stretches for Your Lower Body appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Runners see a lot of different stretching poses, but are often confused on the best stretches to keep them healthy and ready for optimal performance.

This ten-stretch program for runners was developed by Gerard Hartmann, an injury therapist to over 70 Olympic medalists and world-record holders, including Paula Radcliffe and Khalid Khannouchi. Follow the program daily to keep limber all the muscles you use while running, adding efficiency to your stride and keeping you healthy.

It’s a simple step-by-step routine that advises all of his athletes to work into their training. The routine typically takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Hartmann’s Notes on the Best Stretches for Runners:

• It is important to do the stretching in the sequence one to ten. The program is based on a natural progression from one muscle group to the next.
• The body is put in the best anatomical position to maximize an isolated stretch.
• Each stretch is held for 2–4 seconds. Return to the start position and repeat each stretch 8–12 times. Repetition increases the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrition to the muscles.
• The stretch is never forced. The muscles should be encouraged gently to lengthen. The cardinal rule of stretching remains: never force a stretch beyond the point of light irritation.
• Because the stretches are active and not held for more than 4 seconds, the stretching routine can be done before running (some runners jog 7 to 10 minutes to increase circulation before commencing stretching but this is optional).
• The routine can be done after running to recoup tissue extensibility.
• One of the characteristics associated with runners as they age is loss of flexibility. Regular stretching is the single most important thing you can do to keep your body limber, prevent stiffness and limit injury.
• By following this 10-stretch program for runners daily you can ensure your flexibility and running efficiency will improve.

1. Single-Leg Pelvic Tilt Stretch

Muscles stretched: low back and gluteus maximus.

Lie on back with legs straight. Flex the exercising knee and pull it toward the chest by contraction of hip flexor and abdominal muscles. Place hands behind thigh to prevent pressure on knee and provide assistance.

2. Hamstring Stretch

Muscles stretched: hamstrings.

Lie on back with legs straight. Slowly lift exercising leg using quadriceps (front of thigh). Assist with rope at end of movement.

Note: Bend the non-exercising leg to stabilize the spine if you have a history of back injury.

3. Glute Stretch

Muscles stretched: gluteus medius & minimus, piriformis.

Lie on back with legs straight. Flex left knee at a 90-degree angle and place rope around mid-foot, clasping rope with opposite hand. Use left hand to stabilize thigh by clasping at knee. Contract abdominals and hip adductors to lift knee toward opposite shoulder. Assist with rope and left hand.

4. Long Adductor Stretch

Muscles stretched: adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis.

Lie on back with legs extended and wrap rope around arch of left foot. Point right foot inward and lift left leg to the side by contracting outer-thigh and hip muscles. Assist with rope, pulling outward.

5. Quadricep Stretch

Muscles stretched: rectus femoris.

Lie on right side and bring both knees to chest. With your right hand grasp the right knee from outside. With your left hand grasp the left ankle and extend left thigh back by contracting buttocks and hamstrings and, assisting with hand, heel should press into buttocks.

6. Hip Flexor Stretch

Muscles stretched: rectus femoris, psoas.

Kneel down on left knee, place a pillow or cushion under the same knee. Moving forward onto flexed front leg (right) keep pelvis and back stable by contracting abdominals. As you move forward, contract buttocks and hamstrings to flex left heel to left buttock. Assist stretch with one or both hands bringing heel to buttock as flexibility allows.

7. Short Adductor Stretch

Muscles stretched: pectineus, adductor brevis, proximal adductors.

Sit with soles of feet placed together. Contract outside of hips, spreading thighs as far as possible. Use arms between knees to assist stretch at end of movement.

8. Composite Upper Calf, Hamstrings-Neural Stretch

Muscles stretched: gastrocnemius, hamstrings.

Sit with legs fully extended and about six inches apart. Loop rope around ball of left foot. Straighten left leg and pull toes toward you by contracting shin muscles. Assist with rope. For a deeper stretch, lean forward at the trunk and allow foot to leave floor when pulled.

9. Bent-Knee Calf Stretch

Muscles stretched: Achilles tendon, soleus.

Stand on bent right leg. Place left foot behind right calf to assist stretch to right leg. Hold this stretch 8 to 10 seconds. Keep heel on ground.

10. Straight-Leg Calf Stretch

Muscles stretched: gastrocnemius.

Lean against a wall, car, tree, or other support. Keep right leg straight and heel on ground. Hold stretch 8 to 10 seconds. To increase this stretch, place forefoot on book or two-inch timber block and lean gently into a deeper stretch.

Final Notes:

When performing these stretches before or after running, remember to hold each stretch for 2–4 seconds. Return to the start position and repeat each stretch 8–12 times. By doing these 10 best stretches for runners regularly, you will keep all of your running muscles flexible.

These 10 stretches first appeared in an article in Irish Runner magazine. Used with permission. 

The post The 10 Best Running Stretches appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.