Stretch For Better Workout Gains

Stretching is something that I fail to do on a regular basis and it hurts my running performance in many ways. When I attended the Nike Running Club Home Run in Pasadena last week the Pacer's emphasized a proper warm up and stretching (all things I tell my clients, but often fail to do myself). This experience made me realize that I need to put stretching as one of the top focuses of each workout. It's not always about how fast or how far, sometimes it is about how flexible and injury free you may be. Stretching helps to prevent injury, release tension and relax tight and tired muscles. It only takes a few minutes each day to reap the rewards. If you haven't been stretching very often please join me this week as I commit to at least 15 minutes a day of pre-or-post workout stretching.

So, what types of stretching should you do and when should you do them?

Dynamic stretching, or moves that mimic upcoming moves you will be doing in your workout but at a slower pace, are how you should start every workout. So high knee grabs for running, calf raises, lunges, etc. For a weight lifting workout you might do arm circles, squats or torso rotations.

Static stretching, or moves that you hold in a fixed position for 30+ seconds, should be performed at the end of the workout. After running you want to focus on a hamstring stretch, calf stretch and quad stretch, holding each move in a static position to let the muscle stretch out and relax after building up tension during a workout.

The more time you devote to taking care of your body after putting it through heavy stress loads, the better off you will be. If you have trouble stretching on your own, consider signing up for a yoga class and let the instructor lead you through some body opening and muscle relieving poses.

Foam rolling is also a great way to stretch your muscles. It is often referred to as the poor man's massage - for good reason, but it is so worth it. Watch this video for tips on what muscle groups you can stretch out on the foam roller and then join me this week in an effort to find my flexible self. I know she's buried somewhere deep inside me and it's about time I worked on getting more flexible and improving my running stride.