W2R1 in the bag, only slightly knackering which I see as progress. My question is how beneficial is stretching? After I’ve finished running I need the loo so cannot honestly be bothered with a stretch.
Would stretching help my body shape? I was expecting thighs as long, lithe and lean as Mo Farah instead they look like a couple of Bernard Mathews turkey drumsticks……🦃 🤷♀️
I never did any warm down stretches at first but as the runs got longer in later weeks I could really feel the benefit of doing them, much lower and more flexible on the rest days.
Good for you... it really can prevent muscle damage and injury.
The answer really for most folk is yes... your stretching, your core strength work and your stamina work on some of the rest days pays dividends.
Hopefully preventing injury and keeping the running legs in tip top condition.
The feeling you describe at this early stage is something you may find changes, if you do add in these simple exercises. Loads of Links in the How to run C25K pinned post and loads an loads of ideas on the S an F forum...
Here is a link taken from the pinned post.
Stretching at the end of a run is important to help prevent injuries and also to help you feel more comfortable on days after runs. It only takes a few minutes and it’s a great habit to get into.
As for improving body shape, I’m not sure that the stretches at the end of the run will do that for you but yoga and Pilates often combine strength and flexibility. They’re great for runners to support their running as well as the sorts of things that help you look toned all over if that’s what you’re aiming for.
The Strength and Flex board will have lots of ideas…
🍏The simple answer is yes you do need them! Dynamic warm up before running and cool down stretches are vital in preventing injury and giving you a better run! Making them part of your running routine early on is key to ongoing success.
After I’ve finished running I need the loo so cannot honestly be bothered with a stretch.
Well, unless you're spending 30 minutes or so in the loo, you can perfectly well stretch afterwards. Post-run it's a question of doing static stretches while your muscles are still warm, doesn't need to be within seconds of finishing your run.
As for stretching "helping" your body shape, maybe. Maybe not. I'm more toned than before I started running, even though I'm currently running much less than I was. But no matter how much I run, or do yoga, or basic classical ballet exercises, I still have short chunky limbs, it's just the way I'm built. So what?
Hi, and congratulations on starting week 2! I’d thoroughly recommend following the warm up/down videos included in the app. They’re not too strenuous, and (for me) really make a difference in ensuring that I feel good between runs - when I started doing them, the difference was noticeable. There are one or two moves in there which will also show you how your body is adapting to your new regime, too: the ‘inchworm’ exercise, for example. When I first tried these, I found it almost impossible to complete the prescribed 10 repeats, and had to bend my knees to even get my hands on the floor. After a couple of weeks, I could complete the full set and was happily bending from the waist. More than anything else, I think, this really showed me that I was making real progress.
If you need the loo after your run, fine - go ahead! Many of us do. But I’d urge you to take the time to do those stretches afterwards. Your body will thank you, particularly as your runs get longer and more strenuous.
I’m afraid that, like anything else, warming up and stretching won’t make a noticeable difference to anyone’s body shape in and of themselves. They’ll help the shape you’ve got cope with these new challenges. However good exercise, combined with a good diet, might, in the long run (forgive the pun). Getting these right and sticking to them do make a difference - I’ve lost over 4kg doing C25K, but I’m certain that this is mostly down to changing my diet (cutting carbs), and not the physical activity.
I would definitely do both dynamic stretches before a run and static ones after. When I first started the programme I didn’t do the stretches at the end and suffered with shin splints and knee pain. The stretches have made all the difference and are definitely worth the few minutes it takes, even if you have to go to the loo first!
Interestingly, this was discussed in a recent article in The Guardian:
theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...
According to the article "Hundred of studies have looked at whether stretching reduces the risk of injury during exercise,” says Alex Hutchinson, author of Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise. “The overall conclusion is that if there’s an effect, it’s too small to measure consistently. People often conflate stretching with warming up. Starting any bout of exercise with some gentle movement – it can be as simple as a light jog – will bring your body temperature up and make your muscles more supple. But that warm-up doesn’t need to include stretching.”
It is 5 years since I completed C25k. The only rule I have always observed is “don’t stretch cold muscles.” So easy to end up with a muscle pull. I still do my ten minute warm up walk pre run and, for a long run, my first 1k is really run at warm up pace. At the start of faster runs, the NRC App I use encourages stretches after running for six minutes or so. I do as I am told!
Post any run, I do a cool down walk, and check for tight spots. In my case that is usually the outside of my calves (I run almost exclusively on trails which means that the outside peroneal muscles have to work extra hard to keep me stable). I stretch my legs off while the muscles are still warm, and sometimes have to use a spiky massage ball (when I get home) to undo knots…I often need to repeat that for a few days if things have got really tight.
Starting C25k is, I think, a different matter. At the beginning of the programme many of us are using muscles, tendons and ligaments which are simply not used to the demands of running. They need to develop strength and become more flexible. For that reason I always did a warm up walk and dynamic exercises pre run and I stretched my calves and hamstrings post run. It helped to limit injury and I think that my running improved more quickly as a result. Oldfloss’ guidance has always worked for me.
I think that the stretches (if you decide to do them after reading the info given here) can wait for a little while afterwards and still be effective, as your muscles will be cooling down gradually over time. I actually used the stretches as a ploy when I realised that there was a psychological aspect and I started to be bursting for the loo after I started the cool Down Walk- doing stretches before going to the bathroom helped control the psychological aspect, but I wasn't too far from the bathroom if needed and finished them off afterwards then.
If it helps, I’ve been running for 2 years (first C25K and then following the Magic Plan to an hour). I never run for more than an hour and aim to do 1 hour and 2 half hours, and only 3 times per week (it doesn’t always happen because that’s life). I have always had thick thighs but now, I have a line down the outsides of my thighs that really shows how strong those muscles are - no specific stretching, just a few half-hearted ones but always do the 5 minute walk before and after. You will see toned legs but it happens over time. My legs are strong and healthy and that’s a win. Keep at it as you’re doing a great thing for your health and wellbeing. Give yourself a break - nothing happens overnight but it does bring some joy if you stick with it. You’re brilliant for doing it - we should all tell ourselves that sometimes.
The eternal question - to stretch or not to stretch
Stretching the truth?
Stretches. Before or after running?
Stretching before and after running? 
Stretches? Before? After? Both?
