The best stretching exercises after running, according to a physical therapist

If you run regularly, it’s no stranger to tight muscles, sore muscles, and accidental injury. In addition to the regular strength training Besides proper feed And sleep, the right stretches after your run can help your muscles cool down and get ready for your next workout.

Despite popular belief, there isn’t a lot of research that supports stretching before running, according to a physical therapist Corey Rovzar, Ph.D. In some cases, it can actually affect performance.

“Stretching after a run is great, because you’ve already gone those miles and it’s more recovering,” says Rovzar. “It should always be done gently. Just a gentle, light exercise that should feel good and help those muscles while you calm them down a bit.”

Here are my favorite post-run Rovzar extensions, with fine points on how to maximize each one.

1. Kneeling hip flexor stretch

“The biggest limitation I usually see with runners is hip tightness, and the effect it has on running form,” Rovzar says. “This stretch helps you get the hip extension you need while running.”

1. Start with the right knee on the floor and the left knee forward in a lunge position.
2. Keeping your upper body straight, bend forward with your hips until you feel the stretch.
3. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.

2. Needle thread

“Any exercise that increases the mobility of your chest, which is your upper back, is important because when you’re running, you want your torso to rotate,” Rovzar says. “You don’t want all that rotation to come from your hips. It just makes you more vulnerable to injury, and your hips will overcompensate if your thoracic spine isn’t able to move.”

1. Start on the floor on all fours and get into a table position with your body – your hips should be directly above your knees. The elbows, shoulders and wrists should be in a straight line perpendicular to the floor.
2. Take the right arm and sew it under the left arm, rotating the torso to the left.
3. Place your right shoulder and bumper on the floor.
4. Keep the left arm straight and extended above your head, palms facing down.
5. Hold for 30 seconds (or more), then switch sides.

3. Seated hamstring stretch

“In general, with running, your hamstrings and the entirety of your butt (back chain) are prone to stretching because these muscles are used a lot. So if you can make those hamstrings leaner, it can help with tightness.”

Sit on the floor and extend your right leg in front of you.

1. Bend your left leg with your knee on the floor and your left foot resting on the inside of your right thigh.
2. Holding on to the right foot, bend forward at the waist while keeping the back straight.
3. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

4. Quad stretching

“Inclines are hard on the quads because the breaking mechanism works on them a lot. If your quads are too tight, it increases the force going through the knee, which can often lead to pain or discomfort, so you want to maintain good flexibility by maintaining On your graceful graceful and graceful.

Stand as straight as possible, grab your right foot and lift it behind you.

1. Gently pull the heel toward the buttocks to feel the stretch. Consider keeping your knee close inward, not winged.
2. Hold for 15-30 seconds and then switch sides.

5. Calf stretch

“Caves, similar to the hamstrings, are part of that posterior chain and actually bear seven times the force of your body weight when running. Calves are often neglected from a strength perspective — it’s a big deal to show some love to those calves because they really are the backbone.”

Stand on the edge of a sidewalk, staircase, or exercise step, with your heels lifted off the edge.

1. Start by rising to the toes (hold on to a wall or handrail for balance).
2. Slowly lower the heels below the step.
3. Do 3 sets of 15 each – this will stretch and strengthen the calves.

* Don’t have access to scores or edge? Stand zigzag in front of a wall. With both feet on the floor, shift your weight to the back foot until you feel the stretch through the calf of that leg. Switch after 30 seconds.

6. Hip belt stretch and seated IT

“The IT band is very prone to narrowing, especially when people tend to overcompensate by using the quad/IT band instead of the glutes. Coupling an IT band that stretches with some gluteal strengthening can go a long way, especially with people who struggle From IT tightness or external knee pain

1. Sit on the floor with legs extended.
2. Cross your right leg over the left and bend the knee until the right foot is resting on the floor.
3. Rotate the body to look over the right shoulder until you feel the stretch.
4. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

7. Bath Stretching

“It goes well with the calf and hamstring back chain complex, where the glute muscles work hard and are prone to pulling, especially if you do a lot of hard running. Stretching the glutes is good for maintaining mobility and calming things down after a hard run.”

1. Start on all fours and extend the left leg back behind you, with your hips pointing forward.
2. Bend the right knee with the shin on the floor.
3. Slowly walk your hands forward and bend into the stretch for 5-10 seconds.
4. Switch sides and repeat.

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