Runner 6

Quad Stretch:

The Quadriceps are a group of muscles located at your thigh that are extremely important for running as they extend your leg. As assumed from the name, your quads are made up of four different muscles. Unlike the calf stretch, each stretch will stretch more than one of the four muscles, but doing more than one of the stretches will yield better results. 

The most common and simple quad stretch is the standing quad stretch. Support yourself against a wall with your arm, and with your other hand, hold up your leg (same side as the arm that is holding it) around the ankle, and pull until you feel a stretch on the front of your thigh. Usually, forty-five seconds to a minute is enough per leg for this stretch.

After stretching against a wall, find a mat or a soft place to lie down. While on your side, leave the leg on the ground extended and pull back on your other leg with the same side arm. With your other arm, prop your head up. If you do not feel much, push your hip forward and this will increase the stretching. Give each leg around thirty seconds before switching. 

Lastly, push your matt up against a wall so that it is flush with the wall (or get a small towel or pad and place it next to the wall). Kneel on one knee and lift up the foot whose knee is on the ground. Reverse until the lifted leg is against the wall (your other leg should be at a 90º angle. Keep your hands on your hips and face forward. Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds and then switch.

Runner 5

Different stretches:


There are roughly seven hundred muscles in your body. Muscles that perform all different types of tasks in different manners. Luckily for us, we only need to stretch a handful of them to perform efficiently and properly.

Calves:
The calf is a very important muscle to stretch, and it is composed of three main parts: the Gastrocnemius,  Soleus, and Achilles tendon. Each muscle must be stretched in a distinct way.

The Gastrocnemius, or outer calf, can be stretched in the orthodox manner: sitting down, extending a leg, and trying to touch your toes. A better version of this would be to bring an elastic rope or band of some sort, extend both of your legs while on the ground, rap the cord around your feet and pull back. Both ways stretch the outer calf, and you should feel a burn right beneath your knee at the upper calf.





Next, stretch your Soleus, or middle to lower calf. Resume from the Gastrocnemius stretch, however this time, pull your foot in towards your body while keeping your heal on the ground. Bring your heal up to right below where your other foot's knee is.



Lastly,  stretch your achilles tendon by pulling your heal in even further to where you can feel a burn in your lower calf. If you do not feel anything, try a different form of the stretch: stand up facing a wall or curb, put your heal on the floor, and the bottom of your foot on the wall. Inch your heal closer and closer to the wall until you feel an adequate burn. If you are on a curb, it may help to put your opposite foot in front of you over the curb.

Runner 4

Stretching:

You have probably been told to stretch before you run or perform vigorous exercises. I myself have become accustomed to stretching before and after every run I do. Why do we stretch? Is stretching even good for you?

Stretching was thought to loosen muscles, prevent injuries, and prepare for a workout of any sort. I view it as waking my muscles up before forcing them to work. When I do not stretch, I feel like my muscles are cold and resistant, almost as if they are more prone to getting pulled or strained; granted, I have never directly related an injury that I have had to in proper stretching.

Believe it or not, scientific tests in the lab showed that stretching in most cases does not aid the body, and in extreme cases can even worsen the muscle state. Prolonged stretching can backfire and make a muscle more tight than it already has been. Science blatantly states that there is no direct relationship between stretching and athletic performance.

Why then do so many runners ignorantly stretch? The truth is that many athletes, raised in the habit of stretching and warming up, find it unnatural and uneasy to perform without proper drills before hand. If anything, stretching becomes a placebo to injuries or mental stress.

Whether stretching turns out to be good, pointless, or even harmful, I will continue to stretch. For me, stretching helps give a reassured and confident mind, where I know my body is ready to train, or perform, and ultimately, a science lab cannot be certain about everything.