- Your legs do most of the work when you are running, so it is important to get them ready to go. Perform quad stretches by standing on one food and pulling the other foot up and toward your back by bending your knee. Hold for around 15 seconds, then release and switch feet. Stretch your calves by leaning forward against a wall with one foot front and one back, then push back into your rear toes.
- Stretch your hamstrings and your back by standing with your feet hip width apart and bending over to touch the floor. Relax your head for the full stretch.
Sit down with your feet in front of you, pull one knee up, then turn away from that knee to stretch your lower back and hips.
Sit with the bottoms of your feet together and lean forward to perform a butterfly stretch, which is great for the groin area. - Many runners neglect their arms when stretching, but your arms work hard during a run and should get a little attention. Reach your right arm across the left-hand side of your body as if you were going to scratch your back, and use your left arm to pull your elbow closer to your left side. Repeat on both sides.
- Your core strength is critical if you run long distances. Runners use their core to maintain good body positioning, control their breathing and stay balanced. Interlace your fingers, reach up toward the ceiling and then lean to the left and to the right to give your core muscles a good stretch. Place your hands on the back of your hips and lean backwards for a back and abdominal stretch. Once you are done stretching, you are ready to hit the road.
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