Every runner is familiar with the sensation of tightness and stiffness in the muscles after a run, especially in the legs and the low back muscles. The repetitive movement of the body in a long distance run takes its toll on the muscles and joints that are active, and creates muscular imbalances that can eventually lead to lesser performance and even injury.

One way to prevent such imbalances is to incorporate stretching into your workout regimen. Safe stretching is always done when the body is warmed-up, therefore, stretching to increase flexibility is not warming up. “Warming-up” indicates that the temperature of the body is being elevated, and this should be achieved by 5-8 minutes of low intensity activity and thorough rhythmic exercise. Walking, knee lifts, rhythmic rotation of the trunk (such as a cross punch), and arm circles are all good examples of movement that should be part of a runner’s warm-up.

Stretching involves increasing the elasticity of soft tissue such as muscle and tendons, and creating a bigger range of motion in the joints. When we stretch safely we do so in our normal range of motion to prevent damage to the tissue of the ligaments, what can lead to hypermobility of the joints and a tendency toward injury. By tuning into your feelings you become the judge of what is considered “over-stretching”- stretch to the point where you feel a “pulling” in the muscle, but not any sharp pain. Static stretching has been proven to be safe and effective. Moving into the stretch should be slow and easy, and once the range of motion is achieved, the position should be held for at least 15-20 seconds.

Pacing your breathing during stretching is important to allow your body to relax. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale (either through the nose or through the mouth) as you are going into the stretch. Continue this kind of diaphragmatic breathing through the exercise. Remember to hold the stretch and not to bounce!

Most athletes who constantly participate in the same physical activity experience some kind of muscle imbalances because of repetitive movement. Runners often experience a tight and strong low back while their abs in comparison to the low back may be weak. The hamstrings, hip- flexors and the muscles acting as stabilizers to the hip joint (mainly the Psoas, Glutes, the Tensor fasciae latae and the Iliotibial tract) tend to be tight compared to other muscles in the lower body. Every runner should focus on correcting these imbalances by proper strengthening and stretching, not only for injury prevention but also for postural correction. Tight hamstrings, for example, may lead to a chronic posterior tilt in the pelvis, which can have a long- term effect on the structure of the spine. Tight hip- flexors may lead to Lordosis- an excessive curve (a big arch) in the lumbar region. Stretching also aids in reducing muscle soreness and altogether a sense of well- being and comfort.

Here are presented a few stretching exercises that runners can benefit from if done correctly and with a warmed- up body:

Hamstring stretch - Sitting down with one leg extended forward and the other leg bent and turned in (like the figure 4), lengthen the spine (in contrast to rounding the spine), inhale, and as you exhale hinge at the hip and slowly bring your torso toward the extended leg. Hold for at least 20 seconds and switch sides.





Quadricep stretch - Hold on to something for support and stand on one leg with a soft knee. Bend the other leg, exhale and gently pull the heel toward your buttocks. Try to keep your spine lengthened, your thighs close together, your hips level, and your tale (the coccyx) tucked under to avoid any hyper- extention in the back. Hold for at least 20 seconds and switch sides.




Calf & Achillis tendon stretch - Lean on something with your hands as you stand in a staggered stance (one leg bent forward and the other leg extended back). Again, lengthen the spine as you focus on pushing the back heel down. To dig deeper into the Achillis tendon, keep pushing the heel down as you slightly bend the knee of the same leg. Hold for at least 20 seconds and switch sides.




Abductors & gluteus stretch with a spine twist - Sitting down with one leg extended forward, bend the other leg and cross it over the extended leg. Plant the foot down and anchor your pelvis by keeping both sitting bones down. Inhale, lengthen the spine and as you exhale twist toward the bent leg. Hold on to the outside of the bent leg and pull gently into the twist. Hold for at least 20 seconds and switch sides.




Hip Flexor, Tensor fasciae latae, Quadricep femoris (of the back leg) & Gluteus maximus stretch (of the front leg) - This is the famous “runners lunge stretch”. Bending the front leg and extending the back leg, move into a deep lunge. For a safe biomechanical position for the front knee keep the front foot directly under the front knee. If you want to focus more on the back leg muscles, tuck your tail bone under to bring your pelvis to a more vertical and neutral position. If you want to focus more on the Glutes of the front leg, sink deeper into the lunge moving your pelvis closer to the ground.




Back stretch - Standing with the feet hip distance apart and soft knees, hold on to something (a rail or the back of a bench are good examples) and pull back. Keep the abdominals pulled in and your spine slightly rounded. Hold for at least 20 seconds and release. You can repeat this stretch in different angles, each time rounding the spine more or less to target the different regions

Runners Knee

Knee pain in runners is a common occurrence. The term “Runner’s Knee” is used to describe painful conditions in and around the knee. The more common term used now is “Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome”, PFPS, which describes the relationship between the patella (kneecap) and femur and their malalignment. PFPS is usually caused by the patella not tracking correctly in the grove of the femur. Pain commonly occurs in or around the patella or at the inside of or below the knee. It is sometimes worse going down stairs or downhill. The main cause of this is; muscle tightness in either the large muscle of the quadriceps, the vastus lateralis or the iliotibial band, wide hips, knock knees or weakness of the smaller muscle in the quadriceps, the vastus medialis. If you are an over pronator, have fallen arches this can add to the problem as well.

If you have PFPS you need to look at your biomechanics. Do you overpronate? Shoes with anti pronation features can help as well. Orthotics can help correct over pronation as well. Some experts have recently suggested off the shelf ¾ length inserts as an alternative to expensive custom fit orthotics. If none of these seem to do the trick you may want to consider a complete biomechanical evaluation to help identify the possible cause. Massage therapy, specifically Active Release Technique, A.R.T., has been shown to help out dramatically. Strengthening the small tear drop shaped muscle of the quadriceps will be crucial to realigning the patella. The vastus medialis is much weaker than its counterpart the vastus lateralis and needs to be strengthened. Be careful of knee extension machines though as most bend the knee to positions that can actually damage the cartilage under the knee cap. The last 30 degrees of extension are where the medialis work the best so avoid a full range of motion if you feel as though you must do them.

Stretching your hamstrings and calves may help as well as overly tight muscles can indirectly add to increased pressure on the knee cap. If you are doing hill work you may need to cut back as hill work can aggravate the injury. Ice or NSAIDS after runs can reduce inflammation, but of course always follow your doctor’s advice.

This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician.

ABOUT DONNA RACHLIN
Donna Rachlin, fitness expert, group exercise instructor and personal trainer. Donna is also a journalist who has her own fitness column in a magazine. She is also the sister of Jonathan Shechter, a cancer survivor and a 2005 N.Y.C. marathon runner. For questions regarding stretching or any other fitness related issues please contact Donna.