Runners - what is your stretching routine?

Luthien007

I'm fairly new to running and running about 7km x 3 days a week.
I stretch once I have a 5 minute walk to cool down at the end but I am not sure if I am stretching enough or doing the right stretches.

I'm a creature of habit so I want to put a stretch routine in place and just automatically go through the motions.
Does anyone else do this and what stretches do you recommend?

AMBlass

I actually don't stretch anymore. I do a 5 min walking warm-up and and a 5-min walking cool down. Stretching before is dangerous because you are pulling on cold muscles so you risk injuring them. Better to do active warm ups like walking, jumping jacks, butt kicks, arms swings, things like that. Stretching at the end is okay cuz you're warm, but it's just not something I regularly do.

camrunner

Yeah, I'm much more diligent about stretching post-run. The only things I really stretch beforehand are things that have been bothering me recently.

kaitlynelkins9

I'm not as well-versed on the literature as I probably should be, but I think most experts only recommend stretching after a run. But I do think that stretching more frequently is generally regarded as better than stretching less frequently. So if you'd like to stretch after every run, I don't think that would be problematic at all. I generally only stretch after runs longer than 8 miles or so, and I do it in combination with massage to prevent cramping and soreness. This seems to work well for me.

rainman3k

I do the following after my runs, which include a 3-5 minute cool down walk.

Single leg calf stretch, each leg
Standing quad stretch, each leg
IT band touch your toes stretch, each leg
IT band wall stretch, each leg
Lying hamstring stretch, each leg
Lying figure 4 stretch, each leg

Try to hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds

Have started to get a deep tissue massage every other week and it has really helped my with my legs staying fresh

ChaseAlder

I usually just stretch hamstring, calves, and hip flexors. Spread legs and reach to the ground, reach to each foot, stretch each calf in a lunge position, then the same for each hip flexor. I stretch a little longer if I'm running a short (fast) run, but if I'm running a long run, I use the first mile or so to get warmed up before I picked up the pace. I find stretching does little for me, it's the warmup that helps.

HMVOL7409

Usually stretch post run and dedicate 3 separate times a week to stretch longer and foam roll. Have tight IT bands.

workout_junkee

Prerun you should not stretch to warm-up. I do a few minutes of butt kicks, knee lifts and straight leg kicks. This warms my muscles up to run.

After I stretch my quads, hamstrings, quads an hip flexor.

nycegurl74

bump

Luthien007

Thanks for the replies. I picked up from reading forums and articles that Pre-run stretching is not advisable. I thought the main benefit of after run stretching was to prevent muscle soreness in following days.

jlohcook

Thanks for the replies. I picked up from reading forums and articles that Pre-run stretching is not advisable. I thought the main benefit of after run stretching was to prevent muscle soreness in following days.

Yes. Per run - better to warm up muscles properly, ie, straight leg kick, lunge walk, knee high kick, brisk walk. I usually do about 5 min of the kicks and lunge, 5 mins brisk walk.

Post runs, reduce speed of walk 5mins, and bring heart rate to 120, then followed by stretches, I do front lunge, side lunge, warrior post, right deep stretch, wide leg front stretch, calf stretches, pelvic stretches. About 15 mins. I find that I don't get aches all over as much when I do proper stretches, sometimes, after.a run, I go into a routine of yoga stretch following a program of 30-40 mins, when I have the time, that helps even more.

Luthien007

I came back to thank the posters especially for the recommendations for it band stretches.
Abashed to say I hadn't heard of these before but google and youtube are my very good friends and I have now added these to my routine.
Particularly helpful to prevent overuse injuries for newbies like me

rdrage73

I do a warm up THEN do a light stretch prior to running followed by a more in depth sequence afterwards. I stretch everything ( hip flexors, hamstrings, abductors, glutes, calves, quads and achilles) after every run and do at least one long stretch and foam rolling session a week.

michellekicks

What are stretches? :laugh: