Pre and Post stretches

[Wagper08]

I am limited on time before and after a run and just wondering if I had to do the minimum what should I do.

[CBDB Ambassador]

My personal choice was to never ever shorten the post-run stretches. On the pic, the left ones are the ones I do after each run! (Right ones I add to these for after rowing)

But I actually do not do pre-run stretches and just make sure I warm up by walking for 5 minutes (a good 10 min in winter). I’ve started to do some calf warm ups after the 5 min walk (a kind of forward moon walk)

Hope this helps.

Stretches

[Wagper08 Graduate in reply to CBDB]

Thanks

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Like CBDB I have rarely done pre run dynamic stretches, unless I was about to attempt a PB and wanted to be free of the Toxic Ten.

I have always done the post run static stretches as I believe they improve recovery and reduce the risk of carrying tensions into the next run.

This FAQ Post about warm up and cool down may help healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Wagper08 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Personally I always do the 'Dynamic' pre run excercises followed by a 5 minute warm up walk and after the run then another 5 minutes cool down walk followed by the 'Static' after run excercises referred to in the program guide .

To me they are an integral part of the run

[Wagper08 Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks

[nowster Graduate]

I usually (but not always) do some dynamic squats and some leg swings before a run.

Religiously there is always a five minute warm up walk (except for races and parkrun where it's not possible).

And I usually finish my runs so that I have a walk of at least five minutes back home.

Then when home I do the full original set of NHS post-run stretches. All of them. That takes about 8 minutes.

Unfortunately the NHS website now has a totally different set of non-running specific stretches, missing out the ITB stretch and the hamstring stretches. This is most confusing!

They've also removed the links to the podcasts (again). I've archived the links to them here: nowster.me.uk/c25k/podcasts... (Not the podcasts themselves, just the links to their download locations.)

[Wagper08 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Thanks

[Hidden]

I do ~10 mins dynamic pre run and 5 min walk warm up and ~20 mins post run stretches sometimes with a foam roller thrown in. I view the stretching as part of my run and the post stretches are my reward for doing the run 😁I live in a house with a male runner of the same age who never stretches and always complains he is sore 🤔