3 Great Stretches for Runners
It’s crucial to stretch before running field or track. People often have difficulty running and can barely keep it up for a mile. After stretching however, they find it far easier to perform. By stretching, you are preparing your muscles for what is essentially an endurance exercise. You can also make sure that the lactic acid doesn’t build up, causing severe pain during or after a long run. A problem like this can dramatically limit your performance, regardless of what type of running you are involved in.
As well as warming up your muscles and joints for a solid workout, running also helps athletes limit the chance of an injury. It’s also important to be aware that running requires you to use a variety of different muscles and parts of your body including the calves, hips, hamstrings and quads. If you’re stretching before a run, you need to make sure that you are completing dynamic stretches as well as light movement through varied forms of motion. So, let’s look at some of the best options.
Raise Your Calves
When you run your foot leaves the ground and the muscles then contract. You must prepare them for this motion with some simple yet effective calf raises. To do this, you simply need to stand on a step with the balls of your feet over the edge. After you have assumed this position, you can then slowly lower down your heels until they are below the edge of the step. His provides you with a gentle stretch that you should repeat ten or fifteen times. You can do each calf individually rather than attempting both at the same time.
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Hip Abductor
It’s important to stretch every part of the leg as well as the hips. Try this exercise to ensure that your hips don’t become stiff after a long run. All you need to do is hold onto a solid object. Then keep one leg straight while swinging the other past it and then out to the side. When you are doing this, make sure that your chest is upright and that your total core is completely tight. You need to build up the swing until you gain the full range of motion for the leg. This can take some time and you should be aiming to completely roughly twenty for each leg.
Walking Lunges
Lunges are important as they involve flexing your hips which is going to be crucial when running. To do this, simply take a big step forward with one leg and bend the knee until you are virtually parallel with the surface underneath. Your ankle should be in line with your knee. When you have done this, simply push up with your other leg, bringing it forward to meet the first. Then repeat the process, this time starting with the alternate leg. The great thing about lunges is that you can change them to match what you need. Larger steps are great for the glutes. Shorter ones are ideal for your quads.
We hope this helps you prepare for your track and field running goals this season!
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