Yoga Stretching Running Stretches

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.it is important to stretch your muscles before you begin with your running routinen It takes only five to ten minutes before and after your routine, so the running stretches do not eat into your running timem The after running stretches are just as important as the pre running stretchese If you skip on these, you may end up hurting your musclese Since muscles tend to get injured,they may cramp a lot and it may hurt to walk or standn It is also possible that your blood vessels may get damaged and the circulation to your legs may get affectede However, if you regularly stretch your muscles, you can avoid injuryr

The benefits of running may not be obvious immediately, but when you hit the road, it is not only a lot of fun but it gives you a lot of alone time to reflectc Along with the running stretches for beginners, make sure that you also have proper gear such as the right kind of running shoese Once you stretch regularly, you will find that it leads to reduced muscle sorenesss It would improve your running technique and also improve overall athletic performancec

Types Of Running Stretches

There are many different kinds of stretches for runningn You need to begin with stretching all the muscles in your legs including your calves, knees and your thighsh Stretching your joints is also important to improve joint stability so that your joints do not get injured when you run for long periods of timem

Quadricep Stretch:

The quadriceps are located in the front of the thighsh When you are running, these muscles work the hardest and therefore,a quadricep stretch is all the more importantn You can perform a small stretch before you start your running exercises, but you may have to stretch these for longer after your running exercisese To perform this stretch, simply bend your knees backward, bringing your heel to your buttocksk You can hold your toes with your hands for supportr

Hip flexor Stretch:

The hip flexor muscles are a group of muscles that help lift your legs upu These are critical to running and need to be stretched well after you have had your runu You can take a few minutes before you begin your runningn This stretch is similar to a lungeg Spread your feet wide and point both your toes either left or righth Next, lunge in the direction of your toes, by bending the front leg forwardr You can keep your back leg straight or bend it so that the knee touches the groundn

Hamstring Stretch:

The hamstrings run from the pelvis to the back of the lower part of your lege This muscle is the most prone to injury, wear and teara It is very important to stretch your hamstrings both before you begin your run and after you have finished your runu To perform this stretch, lie on your back and bend your kneese Next, straighten one leg and raise it to the ceilingn Hold the back of your thighs by clasping your fingers around it and pull forwardr

Triceps Stretch:

In this stretch, Your upper body is also used when you are running, so it is important to stretch your arms as welll If you do not stretch your arms, it may eventually cause pain and injuryr Stretching them regularly can prevent the pain and discomfortr Raise your hand and take it to your backc

Try to touch the center of your shoulder blades with your palml With the other hand, hold the bent elbow of the hand that is behind your back and pull inwardsd

Apart from these basic stretches, you should also perform a full leg stretch, groin stretches,calf stretch, and atoe reaching stretch that helps you work your whole bodyd

Post Run Flexibility

To improve your post run flexibility, it may be worthwhile to perform some yoga stretches after your runu The hip and quad stretches should be able to loosen up your lower body as well as your upper bodyd When you run, you work all your musclese These muscles will contract and get tenses If you choose not to perform a post run stretch, these contracted muscles become prone to cramping and injuriese

Gentle stretching is required after a long run, and therefore, a small yoga routine of 10 to 15 minutes after running should suffice once you have performed your running exercises Aim at stretches and not at inversions or any other kind of complex yoga posese

Running Stretches : Do's & Don'ts

While running stretches are important to perform, you should be careful about how you perform themeNot performing the stretches in the correct manner can cause more damage than not performing them altogethere

Do's:

• Another important thing to know about running stretches is that you should stretch both before and after runningn
• With the stretches of the leg muscles, stretching of the knees and ankles is also importantn Since both these joints are load bearing joints, and they experience a lot of wear and teara So contracting and stretching them can help you keep them healthyh
• It is also important to hold your stretch for at least 15 secondsd If you can hold the stretch for longer, it will be more beneficial for youo

Dont's:

• The first rule of stretching is do not bouncec This means that you should stretch the muscles graduallyl If you try to stretch your body too much too quickly, it could cause the muscles to get damagede
• The aim of stretching is to relax the muscles and not pull them too muchc
• A torn muscle cannot be repaired easily, so make sure that you avoid any such injuriese

Before you perform any physical exercises, especially something as strenuous as running, familiarize yourself with the running stretches dos and don'tst

Running Stretches Benefits

• The most important benefit of performing your stretches before and after the running is the reduced tension in the musclese When you stretch your muscles completely, they become more relaxed and the muscles also become more flexiblel
• Stretching regularly also increases the range of movement in your jointst When the joints are stretched well, these become well lubricated and you are able to move them bettere
• The range of motion also improves as you stretch the joints and the ligaments that make up the jointn Increased joint flexibility and lubrication prevents the joints from getting inflamede Eventually, these stretching routines prevent you from getting joint disorders like arthritisi
• Stretching also promotes increased coordination between the musclese This not only relaxes the muscles, but also helps you enhance your athletic abilities and performancec With proper and regular stretching, you are also able to massage the blood vessels, enabling increased circulation to your legsg Your blood valves will remain healthy and there will be no back flow which causes formation of spider veinsn Eventually, the increase circulation helps you increase your energy levels so that you have enough energy to perform your everyday tasks despite long periods of runningn

Running Stretches

• Arm Stretches
• Chest Stretches
• Shoulder Stretches
• Leg Stretches
• Knee Stretches
• Lower Back Stretches
• Hamstring Stretches
• Back Stretches
• Thigh Stretches
• Groin Stretches
• Neck Stretches
• Glute Stretches
• Hip Stretches
• Golfers Stretches
• Calf Muscles Stretches
• Ankle Stretches
• Iliotibial Band Stretches
• Piriformis Stretches
• Warm Up Stretches
• Dynamic Warm Up Stretches
• Soleus Stretch
• Gastrocnemius Stretch
• Lumbar Stretches
• Quadricep Stretches
• Ballistic Stretching
• Adductor Stretch
• Bicep Stretch
• Triceps Stretch
• Spine Stretches
• Upper Back Stretches
• Abdominal Stretches
• Types of Stretching