With indoor gyms still closed in the tri-state area and more and more people looking outdoors for a workout, my patients have been asking for top stretches for runners in order to deal with pain that has come up as a result of running, jogging, and walking on pavement and roads, as opposed to treadmills that lessen the impact on joints.
As a certified sports physical therapist that has focused on training runners for almost 20 years, I myself and both used and recommended these 3 simple stretches for all my runners, as they are they have been shown to be the most reliable, overall, for both preventing and relieving pain.
When performing each stretch, be sure to take note of the following:
Diagonal Hamstring Stretch
Be sure to keep your back as straight as possible while performing this maneuver. Also, the pull should be felt on the hamstring. If you feel a stretch in your back muscles, you’ve gone a bit too far.
Standing Calf Stretch
Again, be sure to keep your back straight while doing this stretch. As you can see in the video, the use of something under the toes of the back leg, such as a half foam roller or a book, would help, but it is not required to get a good stretch. You can get a perfectly good stretch even if your back foot was flat on the ground.
Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch
Once again, try to keep your back as straight as possible. Also, only turn your body until you feel a pull on the front of the hip of your back leg and the sides of your body. You should NOT feel a stretch on the knee of your back leg. If you do, you’ve gone a bit too far.
As for how many times to do each stretch? I usually recommend for my runners to do these stretches for 5 reps on each side, 30 second holds for each rep. Doing these approximately 30 minutes before your run as a warmup and also immediately after would be optimal.
Just a further note, these are my personal suggestions for stretches that you can do that have been the most reliable, in general, both for myself and all my running patients in physical therapy for years now. There are, of course, various others. But as I always say to my clients, every situation is very unique. Always be willing to try everything, then keep the ones that work for you while adapting, when necessary, based on how you are feeling.
For more in-depth help, make a physical therapy appointment today in Elizabeth or Jersey City. My staff and I are ready to help with all your pain relief and sports training needs!
Dr. James Pumarada is a licensed Physical Therapist and co-owner of Complete Physical Rehabilitation. With over 19+ years of treatment experience, he is a Sports Therapy Certified physical therapist, focusing on treating and training runners of all levels, and is one of the most sought after vestibular therapy specialists in Elizabeth and Jersey City where, along with his wife, Dr. Asha, they specialize in the treatment of all dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance issues.