Hello everybody! Hoping you're having a lovely Sunday, whether you be working, resting, running, visiting your local recycling centre, or trawling B&Q for another tin of 'Serendipity'.
This is a little post to follow up after the lovely poll we posted recently: "To stretch or not to stretch, that is the question?", kindly suggested to us by Mr Lordi .
Of those respondents who stretch, the majority expressed a preference for stretching after a run. Some people like to stretch if they have felt something tightening during their run. Others clearly felt that they should be stretching but could do better, while others stated specifically that stretching is necessary to their well being. The subject of dynamic versus static stretching was brought up, and some concern was raised about the perceived quality of their stretching. Foam rolling was also mentioned by several people as part of their post-run self-care routine.
I would love to hear more about these stretching routines - please share here your favourite stretches! Tell us why you like them, why you feel they work for you, where you learned about them.
Abix
Written by
roseabi
Ultramarathon
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I can't live without my r8 recovery roller. I don't use it every time but if I've got tight and sore spots it works very well. I tend to get tight hip flexors and using this is less awkward than trying to use my foam roller (umm, what are you doing?!? Would you like some privacy 😂) and I can easily work out the sore spots while sitting on the couch or standing vs trying to balance my clumsy self on my foam roller. If I've done a long run, I try to use it right after and perhaps I'm less sore?
I've started doing a beginner morning yoga sequence by Greatist (You Tube) which takes 15 mins and includes the Half Moon and an extended lunge for the psoas muscles (from lumbar area down through pelvis and attaching to back of each femur). There's a fair bit of hamstring stretching too.
Also, since starting regular longer training runs I have started to stretch after (almost) every run using the stretches from Health Unlocked. To be honest not really noticed any difference to when I don't stretch.
I enjoy the idea of yoga 😄 but not all the slowness, stillness and "other stuff" that often goes with it. This sequence suits me for early morning (I switch the sound off now 😚) as the moves are ones I like and can do. And stretching the hamstrings and hip flexors wont hurt - hope 😀. My view isn't quite so uplifting as I tend to close the blinds. In summer I exercise on the patio though. I might have a ferret round You a Tube and see what else I can find. Hard part is trying to fit it all in - and I only work part-time now.
I've been running for nearly 5 1/2 years now and (whisper it while crossing everything) I've not had a running injury and I've never really done any consistent stretching after runs. But now I've started, a long way out as it's in October, marathon training I thought it might be an idea to. Mind you it might be an idea to actually enter the marathon!
I've had recently a problem with my left rhomboid muscle, and found some advice to use a tennis ball against a wall to roll over the muscle and attempt myofascial release. I didn't have a suitable ball, but I have this puppy rope chew which I got for our kitten when she was eating her way through our headphone cables. The kitten was never interested, but it works a treat on my back and shoulders, and I think it's extra good because it's really knobbly (ouch, though!), and it has a handle to hold, stopping it from falling to the floor all the time. My back feels a whole lot better
At the moment I just do a very short set of 3 or 4 stretches before and after each run. Sometimes I forget to do them before and there have never been any ill effects. More a habit than anything critical.
Which stretches? I love doing the one where I stand on one leg and pull the heel of the other up behind - stretching the hip and quadriceps. For some reason I think it feels lovely!
Yes that is one of them. I also stand with legs apart and touch both hands slowly to one ankle and then the other for 10 sec. And then to the floor. And the last one is like a runners starting gate stance but lower and longer to stretch hamstring and calves out for about 10 sec each leg. And when I get home I stand on one of the steps and do a deep heel stretch and tiptoe which I really like. I have no data to support any of these, I just am in the habit of doing them now when I get back in. I often forget to do them on the way out too.
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Exercising on the patio sounds lovely, roll on summer!!!
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