Stretching For Runners – How To Stretch Leg Muscles Before And After Running

One of the most polarising debates in the world of running – apart from whether to change running form or stick with heel-striking – is when you should do your stretching. The old guard say you should always warm up and stretch before your run and then again more thoroughly afterwards. A new school of thought has appeared in recent years, which maintains that stretching is exclusively for after running, but that more dynamic, functional stretches should be done prior to hitting the trail. The arguments seem mainly to focus on performance rather than injury, but I am now of the mindset that a pre-run stretching session is important.

Why Physio Room Treatment Is Essential For Running Injuries

Once you get past the initial muscular aches and pains when you first start a running program, it is all too easy for running to be become an essential and almost addictive part of your life. Combine that with the rush when you first get involved in organized races, and it is all too easy to want to squeeze just one more session out of yourself. Or to just push through that extra mile in training to see how far you can go. All very reasonable, you may think. And it is also very common, seeing runners push their limits without a care in the world. Unfortunately, that is why roughly 50% of all runners get injured at least once every year. I’m as guilty as the next man – or woman. So I have just begun a series of physiotherapy – sometimes called physical therapy – in order to address a couple of running injuries, one in each leg. I cannot help but think if I had caved in sooner and gone to the physio room earlier, I’d have avoided about 18 weeks off.

Core Workouts For Runners Without Exercise Balls

The best thing about running is that anybody can do it. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you can run knowing the efforts you are putting in will make you a stronger, fitter, leaner, healthier person. The best bit is that running is all about the legs, and they will get stronger as you exercise them on your jogs; no need for any other kind of muscular strength training, right? Wrong! Although you can concentrate on just running and think you will be fine, the truth is that your core muscles play a vital role in helping you maintain correct posture and optimal running form. Without core strengthening exercises, you can be inviting injuries, as other muscle groups compensate for your flabbly midriff.