Do I need to stretch after every run?

Let’s face it, stretching is the least enjoyable part of being a runner. Let’s look at how it can help you run faster.

Why stretch?

Not stretching will cause muscles to shorten and stiffen, which increases your likelihood of injury, as well as making your running style less efficient by impacting on posture and your running gait (stride pattern).

How to stretch.

It doesn’t have to take very long, 15 seconds on each side for the major groups in the legs (calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes) will just about do the trick and stop you from ceasing up over time. If these muscles are particularly tight, then hold for 30-45 seconds, and go further into the stretch as soon as you feel it start to loosen off.

The target is to reach an uncomfortable point where if I asked you how strong it was out of 10 you’d say 7-8. The point where it eases off is around a 6 out of 10.

In certain circumstances, stretching may not be the right answer and foam rolling, self massage or mobilisation exercises may be a better choice.

A little more to it.

You can go much more in depth in time, but with most runners I see not always stretching and not necessarily doing a great job of it when they do, these 4 stretches are a good starting point. Once you feel the benefits and want to stretch more, you can delve a little deeper, as I will in other posts on the topic.

Ideally, you’d also do a proper cool down to flush the muscles with oxygenated blood. This helps remove any lactate build up left over from your run. If you’re not stretching at present however, let’s tackle one thing at a time.

The answer is yes. You do need to stretch (roll or mobilise) after runs.

Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk.