Runners' Static Stretching Guide
Static Stretching Before Running
As explained on the runners warm-up guide page, some easy stretches can be performed after a good warm-up walk or jog of 5 to 10 minutes. Once a light sweat breaks some static stretches can be performed. However, at this stage static stretching is not very important and muscle tension could be held for about 10 seconds. It is believed by many sports scientists and proven by some scientific studies that too much static stretching before the main physical workout might have opposite effects. One should rather do active dynamic stretching warm-up drills to fully prepare the muscles and nervous-system for strenuous activity.
Static Stretching After Running
A static stretching routine after your training run or distance race should be a fixed part of the whole physical activity after a cool down period. Aim to hold each stretch for a minimum of 20-30 seconds, breath comfortably, with deep breathes through your nose, and out via your mouth. Static stretches help muscles to relax, realign muscle fibres and re-establish their normal range of movement.
Static Stretching Drills
Stretches which could also be done before running and after basic warm-ups: Shoulder Stretch, Calf Stretch, Adductor Stretch.
Stretches which are strongly suggested to be performed after running during cool down: Upper Back Stretch, Shoulder Stretch, (standing) Hamstring Stretch, Calf Stretch, Hip and Thigh Stretch, Adductor Stretch, Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch, Standing Shin Stretch.
Upper Back Stretch
- Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Interlock your fingers and push your hands as far away from your chest as possible, allowing your upper back to relax.
- You should feel the stretch between your shoulder blades.
Shoulder Stretch
- Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Place your right arm, parallel with the ground across the front of your chest.
- Bend the left arm up and use the left forearm to ease the right arm closer to you chest.
- You will feel the stretch in the shoulder.
- Repeat with the other arm.
Hamstring Stretch
- Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you
- Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg
- Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground
- Bend forward keeping the back straight
- You will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg
- Repeat with the other leg
Standing Hamstring Stretch
- Stand with your left leg one step in front of your right foot.
- Bend your right knee and sit your weight on it.
- Toes of your front foot point up to the sky, with hands folded on the thigh.
- Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your bum in the air, keeping your back straight.
- Hold when you feel a comfortable stretch and repeat with the other leg.
Calf Stretch
- Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, hands flat and at shoulder height against a wall.
- Ease your back leg further away from the wall, keeping it straight and press the heel firmly into the floor.
- Keep your hips facing the wall and the rear leg and spine in a straight line.
- You will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg.
- Hold the stretch and then repeat with the other leg.
Hip and Thigh Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Turn the feet and face to the right.
- Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical.
- Gradually lower the body.
- Keep your back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and along the hamstrings of the right leg.
- Hold a comfortable stretch and repeat by turning and facing to the left.
Adductor Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Bend the right leg and slowly lower the body.
- Keep you back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor.
- Hold the stretch just before pain level and repeat with the left leg.
Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch
- Cross one leg in front of the other leg.
- Bend down and touch your toes.
- Move your hands across the floor toward the front leg to put more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side.
Quadriceps Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp the top of your ankle or forefoot behind you.
- Pull ankle toward the buttocks.
- (Pulling your forefoot instead of your ankle would stretch the shins).
Standing Shin Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
- Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Place your right arm, parallel with the ground across the front of your chest.
- Bend the left arm up and use the left forearm to ease the right arm closer to you chest.
- You will feel the stretch in the shoulder.
- Repeat with the other arm.
Hamstring Stretch
- Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you
- Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg
- Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground
- Bend forward keeping the back straight
- You will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg
- Repeat with the other leg
Standing Hamstring Stretch
- Stand with your left leg one step in front of your right foot.
- Bend your right knee and sit your weight on it.
- Toes of your front foot point up to the sky, with hands folded on the thigh.
- Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your bum in the air, keeping your back straight.
- Hold when you feel a comfortable stretch and repeat with the other leg.
Calf Stretch
- Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, hands flat and at shoulder height against a wall.
- Ease your back leg further away from the wall, keeping it straight and press the heel firmly into the floor.
- Keep your hips facing the wall and the rear leg and spine in a straight line.
- You will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg.
- Hold the stretch and then repeat with the other leg.
Hip and Thigh Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Turn the feet and face to the right.
- Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical.
- Gradually lower the body.
- Keep your back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and along the hamstrings of the right leg.
- Hold a comfortable stretch and repeat by turning and facing to the left.
Adductor Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Bend the right leg and slowly lower the body.
- Keep you back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor.
- Hold the stretch just before pain level and repeat with the left leg.
Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch
- Cross one leg in front of the other leg.
- Bend down and touch your toes.
- Move your hands across the floor toward the front leg to put more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side.
Quadriceps Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp the top of your ankle or forefoot behind you.
- Pull ankle toward the buttocks.
- (Pulling your forefoot instead of your ankle would stretch the shins).
Standing Shin Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
- Stand with your left leg one step in front of your right foot.
- Bend your right knee and sit your weight on it.
- Toes of your front foot point up to the sky, with hands folded on the thigh.
- Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your bum in the air, keeping your back straight.
- Hold when you feel a comfortable stretch and repeat with the other leg.
Calf Stretch
- Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, hands flat and at shoulder height against a wall.
- Ease your back leg further away from the wall, keeping it straight and press the heel firmly into the floor.
- Keep your hips facing the wall and the rear leg and spine in a straight line.
- You will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg.
- Hold the stretch and then repeat with the other leg.
Hip and Thigh Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Turn the feet and face to the right.
- Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical.
- Gradually lower the body.
- Keep your back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and along the hamstrings of the right leg.
- Hold a comfortable stretch and repeat by turning and facing to the left.
Adductor Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Bend the right leg and slowly lower the body.
- Keep you back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor.
- Hold the stretch just before pain level and repeat with the left leg.
Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch
- Cross one leg in front of the other leg.
- Bend down and touch your toes.
- Move your hands across the floor toward the front leg to put more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side.
Quadriceps Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp the top of your ankle or forefoot behind you.
- Pull ankle toward the buttocks.
- (Pulling your forefoot instead of your ankle would stretch the shins).
Standing Shin Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Turn the feet and face to the right.
- Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical.
- Gradually lower the body.
- Keep your back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and along the hamstrings of the right leg.
- Hold a comfortable stretch and repeat by turning and facing to the left.
Adductor Stretch
- Stand tall with you feet approximately two shoulder widths apart.
- Bend the right leg and slowly lower the body.
- Keep you back straight and use the arms to balance.
- You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor.
- Hold the stretch just before pain level and repeat with the left leg.
Standing Iliotibial Band Stretch
- Cross one leg in front of the other leg.
- Bend down and touch your toes.
- Move your hands across the floor toward the front leg to put more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side.
Quadriceps Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp the top of your ankle or forefoot behind you.
- Pull ankle toward the buttocks.
- (Pulling your forefoot instead of your ankle would stretch the shins).
Standing Shin Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
- Cross one leg in front of the other leg.
- Bend down and touch your toes.
- Move your hands across the floor toward the front leg to put more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side.
Quadriceps Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp the top of your ankle or forefoot behind you.
- Pull ankle toward the buttocks.
- (Pulling your forefoot instead of your ankle would stretch the shins).
Standing Shin Stretch
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
- Stand tall holding or leaning to an object to keep your balance.
- Grasp your forefoot behind you.
- Pull your forefoot toward your lower back and and look forward.
- Hold stretch at a comfortable level and repeat with your other leg.
