It is very important to take time to stretch before and after a run. This is especially true if you have been prone to injuries in your running career. You can get more information about stretching here. I also recommend that you take a look at this excellent stretching band
- Warm up: Never stretch when your muscles are cold. Ideally, you should jog for a few minutes to loosen your muscles up before you stretch.
- Don’t overstretch: I have known a number of runners who have pulled muscles by stretching too agressively. You only need to feel a slight tug in your muscle when stretching…anything more can give you a troublesome injury.
- Don’t try to heal an injury by stretching: Do not think that more stretching automatically means more healing. Although stretching is very beneficial for stiff muscles, do not think of it as a cure-all. This is especially true for hamstring problems. When you are feeling pain in a muscle, only stretch the muscle very lightly. If the pain increases from the stretch stop immediately.
- Stretch correctly: Don’t simply hold a stretch for 5 seconds and go onto the next muscle…that does nothing. Rather, try this routine: 1) Hold a stretch for 30 seconds, 2) relax for 30 seconds, 3) stretch the same muscle again for 30 seconds. Repeat this at least 3-4 times. It takes time, but you will really loosen up your muslces.
