Don't Forget to Stretch!
Runners are notoriously tight. Adding a dynamic warm up to your training routine is a great way to increase joint range of motion, improve posture, and increase your ability to exert force through a greater range. As you run, your muscles are continuously contracting. These continual contractions or shortenings of your muscles determine the resting length of the muscle. When a muscle is being shortened continuously on a regular basis it will adjust to the demands placed on it and become resistant to lengthening/stretching. Therefore, muscles that are incessantly used without being stretched will become hard and short. This results in inhibited joint motion, inhibited contraction of opposing muscles, misalignment of the body, and increased chance of injury.
Set aside time before each run for a dynamic warm up.
1. Lunge and Twist: during your walking lunges add a slight arch back and a slight twist toward your front leg. This is a great way to actively stretch tight hip flexors.
2. Walking Can-Cans: are a wonderful hamstring stretch. Walking forward with straight legs kick your opposite leg to opposite hand, making sure to keep your knee straight the entire time.
3. Dancer stretch or walking quad stretch. Standing tall, balance on one leg and grab the opposite ankle with your hand, hold for 2 seconds and walk forward switching legs.
Training tips by Erin Marston, Running Coordinator of the Denver Athletic Club.