Why Is Stretching So Important?

Stretching is an essential part of any physical activity, especially running. Cooling down after a workout helps bring your heart rate back down and your muscles back to normal. Strenuous exercise can temporarily shorten your muscles; not stretching them out will negatively affect your mobility.

What muscles should you be stretching after a workout?

Running is all about leg and hip mobility. The main muscles you should aim to stretch before and after a workout include

-Glutes

-Hip Flexors

-Quadriceps

-Hamstrings

-Calves

-Triceps

-Piriformis

-All core muscles

Running is a combination of all these musicals working together, so it’s important to take care of them.

5 best stretches to cool down for a run

1. Hip Circles

-Stand straight with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. 

Bend your knees slightly and place your hands on your hips.

-Slowly rotate your hips, making big circles. 

-Complete a set in one direction, then go the other direction.

2. Piriformis Stretch

The piriformis muscle externally rotates the thigh along with the superior and inferior gemelli, quadratus femoris, and obturator internus and externus. Specifically, this muscle laterally rotates the femur during hip extension and abducts the same bone during hip flexion.

-Lie on your back with your legs straight

-Lift one leg and bend your knee

-With your opposite hand, pull the bent knee to the opposite shoulder as far as you can.

3. Hamstring Stretch

–Lay on your back with feet planted in front of you.

• -Raise your right leg towards you and hold on to the back of it with both hands and fingers interlocked.
• -Exhale as you slowly encourage your leg towards you.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• -Switch legs.

4. Standing Quad Stretch

–Start in a standing position with your feet together.

• -Raise your right foot up from the ground and grab it with your right hand.
• -Keep your knees as close together as possible.
• -Gently pull your heel towards your glutes.
• -Hold for 20–30 seconds.
• -Switch to the other leg.

 5. Low Lunge Stretch

–Step into a lunge position

– Keep your toes pointed forward and your upper torso straight. Your back leg should be straight back behind you.

-Press down with your hands and extend the hips forward until you feel a stretch from the front of your hip and the top of your thigh (of your back leg).

-Hold 30 to 60 seconds then switch sides