Download Stretching Exercises

Quadriceps Stretch: (Flamingo) The quadriceps is the muscle
in the front of the thigh, important for lifting your knees and
increasing your speed. It is the "quads" that often go at the end
of marathons, causing runners to come shuffling across the
finish line because they have a hard time lifting their feet off the
ground. To do this exercise while standing, simply grab hold of
a stationary object for balance with one hand and use the
opposite hand to grasp the leg around the ankle, lifting it toward
your buttocks. Keep your back straight and do not allow your
knee to drift forward ahead of the stance leg. A lot of runners
slouch forward, which effectively negates the stretch’s
effectiveness.
Hamstring Stretch: Most runners do this exercise by putting their foot
on a waist-high stationary object (or a hurdle if at the track) and slowly leaning
forward, reaching down the shin until they feel a stretch in the hamstring. The
hamstring is the muscle that runs from just below the knee up into the buttocks.
It’s the muscle that lifts the lower leg and bends the knee after the quads have
lifted your knees. Sprinters pull this muscle more than distance runners, but as I
discovered, even straining your hamstring can limit your ability to run fast. The
best way to do this exercise, however, is not with your foot on a stool, but
rather while lying on your back. Lie on your back, keeping the back flat and
your eyes focused upward. Grasp the back of one thigh with both your hands
and (leg bent) pull that thigh into a 90-degree position vs. the floor. Then
slowly straighten your knee. After you’ve gotten used to doing this exercise,
you can achieve a better stretch by pulling your thigh closer to your chest—but
don’t overdo it!
Hamstring Stretch Positions
3. Piriformis Stretch: The piriformis muscle is responsible for lateral
rotation of the hip. It is particularly important to athletes who have to change
direction, such as tennis players and running backs in football. But though
runners run straight ahead, keeping the piriformis muscle loose is important for
overall flexibility. Lying on your back, cross your legs just as you might while
sitting in a chair. Grasping the "under" leg with both hands, pull the knee
toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your buttocks and hips.
Piriformis Stretch Position
4. Gastroicnemus (Calf) Stretch: This push-off exercise is the one
you most often see runners doing before races. Typically, they lean against a
wall to stretch the calf muscles—but they don’t always do it right, claims
Pitchford. The gastroc muscle, along with the soleus, is located in the back of
the calf. It is the calf muscle that actually propels your leg across your
grounded foot while running. Lean against a wall or other stationary object,
both palms against the object. The leg you want to stretch is back, several feet
from the wall, your heel firmly positioned on the floor. Your other leg is flexed
about halfway between your back leg and the wall. Start with your back straight
and gradually lunge forward until you feel the stretch in your calf. "It is
important to keep your back foot straight and angled 90 degrees from the wall,"
says Pitchford.
Stretch Position
5. Soleus Stretch: "This is the stretch that most runners forget," says
Pitchford. "They stretch their gastroc muscles (as above) without realizing
there’s a similar stretch for the soleus." The soleus is the other major muscle in
the calf, located in front of the gastroc. It is important for planting the foot on
the ground before your push off. Position yourself similar to the gastroc stretch
with back straight and palms against the wall. The difference is that you start in
a "seated" position with your legs bent, your buttocks dropped. Gently lean into
the wall until you feel the stretch in your lower calf.
Soleus Stretch Position
Stretching is important, not only because it will make you a better runner, less
likely to get injured, but it can also help you to maintain flexibility to do all the
other activities in your life.
Suggested Stretches
Splits
This stretch will help to stretch your adductors. When tight, this muscle group - on the inside of your
thighs - often causes straining of the illiotibial band (IT band) on the outside of your leg. Set your feet
parallel and spread them as far apart as possible. Fold your arms at the elbows, and bend forward
while trying to reach the ground with your folded arms.
Hang Ten
To avoid shortening both your stride and your career, the Hang Ten stretches your hamstrings – the
most vital muscle group involved in running. This stretch will also loosen your lower back muscles. To
perform this stretch, bend over at the waist and hang your fingers toward your toes, relaxing your neck
muscles and letting your head hang.
Lunge
This stretch has a two-fold design. It will loosen both your hip flexors and your groin muscles – muscle
groups that are vital to fast and uphill running.
Hip flexors are stretched by keeping the toe of the trailing leg pointed straight down as you drop your
knee to the ground. (See photo 1 below). Groin muscles are stretched by rolling your foot over so that
the inside edge is flat against the ground (see photo 2 below).
Flamingo (Quad Stretch)
Tight quadriceps will decrease your back kick and shorten your stride. By stretching the quads, you
help the hamstrings pick up your heels as you toe off. Balance on one foot or hold onto a nearby object
and keep your knee pointed down with your torso perpendicular to the ground. If you keeping your grip
at the toes, you will also stretch your shin muscles.
Heel Drop
Loose calf muscles will help prevent Achilles tendonitis and take some of the burden away from your
shins as you bring your trailing leg forward when running. Stand on a curb or step and drop your heels
just to the point of discomfort and relax your calves. Your heels will move closer to the ground as your
calves stretch. Your calves, Achilles tendon and shins will thank you for this stretch.
Stretching for Optimal Fitness
There is a balance between strength, endurance, and flexibility. One way stretching benefits your
performance is through improved flexibility: your stride length increases allowing you to run faster with
no additional energy. If you diligently perform the stretching exercises throughout the semester, you
will notice that running becomes a little easier. You may even be surprised at the speed that lurks in
your legs.
Before you start, consider these warm-up techniques;
 Avoid stretching cold muscles. When muscles are cold, it’s easier to tear the muscle fibers
that you are desperately trying to protect.
 Walk or jog 5 minutes to get blood to the area, wear sweat pants or tights and try to stretch
where it’s warm.
 Always stretch to the point of discomfort, not pain.
 Breathe comfortably and let the muscle group relax. As it relaxes, it will stretch.
 Hold each stretch for 30 to 45 seconds.
Benefits of Stretching:
“Normal” flexibility varies among each individual. Younger people and females tend to be more
flexible than others, but everyone can stretch to better prepare the body for an activity and also
facilitate recovery from that activity. Flexibility is generally defined as the range of motion around
a joint. The goal of stretching is to improve your flexibility to enable you to perform an activity
without compromising joint stability. Improved flexibility has many benefits;
·
Increased range of motion of your joints- requires less energy and provides a
safer and more efficient movement.
·
Injury prevention- although there is insufficient evidence to prove, by improving
your range of motion, the soft tissue’s resistance to stretch is decreased. Soft tissue
damage may not occur as this elastic limit of the tissue is not exceeded.
·
Decreased muscle soreness- stretching after exercise can prevent or reduce
delayed muscle soreness and enhance recovery. ( This may be attributed to the
increased muscle temperature, circulation, enhanced blood supply and nutrients
available to the muscle and joint during the stretching activity)
·
Increased blood supply, nutrients and joint synovial fluid- regular stretching and
proper warm-up increases the deep muscle and tissue temperature which decreases
the synovial fluid thickness. This enables nutrients to be transported more easily to
the joint articular and hyaline cartilage, possibly decreasing degenerative joint
changes and allowing increased joint range of motion.
·
Better posture- by improving your flexibility, better postural alignment and muscular
balance can occur. Studies show that by improving pelvic mobility and strength,
decreased low back pain is noted.
·
Stress reduction- stretching encourages muscular and mental relaxation. These
positive adaptations should lead to healthy, supple muscles that are more resistant to
fatigue and injury.
Stretching Guidelines
I.) When to Stretch?
-Stretching is not a warm-up. The goal of your warm-up is to gradually increase the
metabolic demands required for running. By doing a progressive warm-up, muscle
temperature and blood circulation will increase. More blood flow (and nutrients and oxygen
which fuel exercise) to the working muscles helps prevent metabolic by-products such as
lactic acid. Improved core temperature allows for increased elasticity of the soft tissue
structures improving flexibility and range of motion. Nerve impulses also travel faster at higher
temperatures preparing the muscles for increased speed of contraction.
·
Warm-up: should be gradual and of sufficient intensity to increase muscle and core
temperature without causing fatigue or reducing energy stores. Usually 3-5 minutes is
appropriate. Older, beginner, overweight, pregnant, or cardiac individuals may need
10-15 minutes.
·
If you will be running at a leisurely or steady state pace, stretching may not be
needed if a proper warm-up is done. Stretching is encouraged; however, hold
stretches to only 10 seconds before or during this warm-up phase.
·
For competition or more vigorous training, you may want to do a 10-15 minute
warm-up, stretch, do an additional warm-up and then begin that specific activity.
·
Cool-down: After an appropriate active cool-down of lowered intensity level,
stretching is most beneficial. Try and stretch within 5-10 minutes after your activity.
Increased body temperature increases the elasticity of the soft tissue structures
allowing more stretch and flexibility.
II.) When NOT to stretch?



If a sharp pain or a discomfort is felt in either the muscle or joint.
If a muscle or joint is infected or inflamed.
If there has been a recent (within 24-72 hour) muscular or tendon trauma, i.e. strain,
sprain, fracture, dislocation, or other injury.
III.) Types of Stretching?
-A review of the literature revealed there is no one best way to stretch. Flexibility is joint
specific, meaning if you are flexible in one joint, you may not be in another. A variety of
structures (joint, skin, tendons and ligaments, muscle, etc…) affect flexibility. Some can be
changed, while others can not.
Basically, there are 5 types of stretching.
1) Static- generally the safest, being controlled, low-force, long duration, low risk. Stretches
are held at end range for 30-60 seconds. May use active or passive movement combinations.
2) Dynamic or Ballistic- both are classified as active stretches using bouncing or abrupt type
movements. They are high force, high risk activities. Dynamic stretches can be sport specific
to running using fast, long strides ( with a posterior pelvic tilt). Dynamically, this stretches the
hip flexors.
3) Active- voluntary, requiring strength of the muscle opposing the muscle to be stretched. It
is low force and low risk. An example is lying on your back using your quadriceps to extend
the knee, stretching the hamstrings.
4) Passive- when movements are applied by another source, such as a partner. They
potentially have higher force and higher risk.
5) PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)- usually are performed by a partner and
requires some expertise. Involves both active and passive movements (concentric and
isometric). It is high force and high risk.
Common techniques are:
a) Hold-Relax: perform a passive pre-stretch of the muscle to end range. The athlete is
instructed to ‘hold’ resisting the movement (isometric contraction) and then a passive stretch
is then performed.
b) Hold-Relax with Agonist Contraction: same technique as hold-relax, however, during the
final phase, a concentric contraction of the agonist (opposing muscle) is used along with a
passive stretch to further increase range of motion.
How to Stretch:
Your stretching program is a planned and regular routine that promotes permanent elongation
of the soft tissue without causing or contributing to an injury. Improving flexibility is a slow and
gradual program. It may take several weeks of stretching before significant gains in flexibility
are noted. Consider the following recommendations when performing your stretches;
* In review, after a proper warm-up of at least 3-5 minutes, perform a static stretch for 10
seconds to each muscle group.
* During your cool-down, stretches should be applied for at least 30-60 seconds.
* Perform 2 sets of a stretch per muscle group during the cool-down.
* Stretch from distal to proximal muscle groups (gastrocnemius up to hip complex)
1) Move slowly through your range of motion to the point of tightness.
2) Perform the type of stretch.
3) As you stretch, the tension should gradually decrease. Take the muscle just beyond
the point of tightness at that time.
4) Stretch for the recommended time frame.
5) The stretch should apply tension on the soft tissues but not create pain.
6) Slowly release the stretch.
7) Repeat on the other extremity.
Pictures: Two pictures are provided for stretching each of the major muscle groups of the
lower extremity. Below each stretch is an explanation of how to stretch that muscle in a ‘start’
and ‘finish’ position. In conclusion, muscle stretching should become a relaxing and enjoyable
time to better prepare you both mentally and physically for your running program. Although
this article only showed lower extremity stretches, consider stretching all of the major muscle
groups for balance and symmetry 1-2 times a week. Yoga classes are one example of a group
class program. Try the various types of stretches to see which you respond best to. Also, once
you become comfortable with stretching, stretch your muscles in variations of each position of
stretch. Our muscles have different fiber directions and orientations, and may respond better
to these subtle changes. Contact a Sports Physical Therapist if you have any specific needs
or problems. Maintain your flexibility gains by performing a regular and routine stretching
program.
Lower Extremity Stretches
Gastrocnemius: Place hands against wall, feet pointing forward, leg straight. Bend front knee
keeping the heel of the back leg on the ground.
Start
Finish
Soleus: Place hands against wall, feet pointing forward, leg straight. Bend back knee
keeping the heel of the back leg on the ground.
Start
Finish
Quadriceps: Place foot on object with the other foot ahead of your knee. Tighten abdominals
holding a posterior pelvic tilt. Drop the knee down keeping it close to other leg.
Start
Finish
Hamstring: Place foot on object. Do an anterior pelvic tilt (arch your low back). Leading with
your chest, lean forward.
Start
Finish
Gluteals: Place foot on object. Lean forwards on that leg, moving through your opposite hip.
Start
Finish
Hip Flexors: Place foot on object. Internally rotate other leg (heel turned out). Tighten
abdominals. Lean forward through rotated leg. Sidebend (reach arm overhead to opposite side)
away.
Start
Finish
Adductors: Stand with feet apart. Step one leg out to side. Bend that knee, keeping your other
leg straight.
Start
Finish
Piriformis: Lying on your back with knees bent, cross your leg onto the other knee. Extend
opposite hand out to stabilze. Use other hand on knee to rotate hip. Don’t let hip come off
the ground.
Start
Finish
Gluteal Complex: On hands and knees, extend one leg back. Pivot and rotate the other leg
under you. With an anterior tilt slide extended leg further back. Keep hips level.
Start
Finish