Stretching after a run
October 31, 2010 Leave a comment
Running is a great way to get a quick dose of a high intensity, calorie-burning activity. Wherever you are, you pull on your shorts and t-shirt and shoes, and you are out of the door. The only draw back to this instant gratification is that when I don’t include that 10 to 15 minutes after my run to cool down and stretch, eventually I run into trouble. So, take the time to do a few simple stretches:
1) Your feet! These guys just carried you 4 miles! They need to be stretched and moved into some different directions. Lay on your back and put the back of your legs against a wall. Circle your feet in both directions, and wave your feet back and forth.
2) Your calves! Stand on the edge of a stair, and hold onto a wall. Lower your heel and hold the stretch for 30 seconds each foot, and 60 seconds lowering both heels.
In my next posts, I will talk about stretches for the quads, hamstrings, knees, arms and head and neck.