Muscle stretching contributes to recovery and, combined with warm-up, prevents injuries.
In general, stretching consists of emptying one or more muscles of the toxins accumulated during exertion. These stretches are not warm-up sessions and do not constitute massages either.
They can (should?) be performed at the end of each workout, while the muscles are still warm, and before showering.
After these exercises, you will feel rejuvenated and ready for more sessions. Exercises 10 to 14 are particularly effective!
Exercice №1:
Attention: This exercise must be performed keeping the body as straight as possible (head, trunk, leg axis).
Muscle contraction:
Press evenly and without jerking the back of your foot against the stool to contract the muscles in the front of your thigh.
Stretching
Allow the thigh to relax and grasp the foot with your hand, then stretch the front part of the thigh to the maximum.
Exercice №2:
Muscle contraction:
Descend slowly, maintaining the head-trunk-thigh axis completely "flat" and rigid. Stop the descent when feeling a painful sensation in the thighs.
Stretching
Release the contraction by placing your hands on the ground, then push the belly upward without spreading the knees.
Exercice №3:
Muscle contraction:
Push the heel very strongly towards the ground. The posterior face of the thigh should be hard.
Stretching
Bend forward with a straight torso to stretch the same muscle group.
Exercice №4:
Muscle contraction:
Slightly bend the knees and contract the muscles on the back of the thighs.
Stretching
Relax and let the torso descend towards the ground, keeping the legs straight and without forcing, only using the weight of the body.
Exercice №5:
Muscle contraction:
First, ensure that the entire back is flat on the ground, avoiding a hollow under the lumbar arch. While resisting with the hands, push the knees down as strongly as possible.
Stretching
Completely relax and try, without forcing, to bring the knees towards the face while bringing the head towards the knees. There should be no pain, the exercise should be done smoothly.
Exercice №6:
Muscle contraction:
Same as before but with only one leg.
Stretching
Same as before but with only one leg and without raising the head.
Exercice №7:
Muscle contraction:
While keeping the torso straight (and leaning on a support if necessary), bring the leg horizontally in front of the chest. Then push the leg downwards while resisting with the hands. The contraction of the glutes is immediately felt because it is a powerful and large muscle group that runners rarely stretch.
Stretching
Pull the passive leg towards the chest, without feeling any pain.
Exercice №8:
Muscle contraction:
With the arms trapped between the knees, serving as resistance, the goal is to press the knees inward with as much force as possible.
Stretching
Grab the ankles with your hands to bring them closer to your pelvis, and press on the knees with your elbows, simply leaning the torso forward.
Exercice №9:
Muscle contraction:
Lying on the back, with the buttocks pressed against a wall and the legs extended against it, press the knees together while opposing resistance between them (for example, by clenching fists between them).
Stretching
Gently let the legs lower, each to its side, as symmetrically as possible to avoid tipping the body, as they are subject only to their own weight, in total relaxation of the whole body. This is also a position that promotes relaxation for runners and it is recommended to use it often at the end of a running session for longer than twenty seconds.
Exercice №10:
Muscle contraction:
With your feet one meter apart, lean your torso forward and place your hands on your front knee, push with your rear leg on the ground.
Stretching
Stretch the distance of the lunge if needed, but make sure to keep the calf vertical. Push the hips forward while bringing the rear leg passively as close to the ground as possible.
Exercice №11:
The ideal is to perform this movement on the edge of a sidewalk or any other support that allows you to hold on with your hands.
Muscle contraction:
Keeping the body straight, force yourself to balance on your toes until you feel a strong contraction in your calves.
Stretching
Slowly lower the body until reaching the maximum flexion position (without pain), placing the heels as low as possible. Stop the descent as soon as the stretching is felt too strongly at the level of the Achilles tendons.
Exercice №12:
Muscle contraction:
Leaning against a wall in a medium lunge, the goal is to press the back foot down to the ground.
Stretching
Bend your knees and lower your hips towards the ground to increase the flexion of the back foot (you should feel the stretch in the Achilles tendon). The more stretched your calves are, the lower you can place your hands on the supporting wall, perhaps even placing them on the ground.
Exercice №13:
Muscle contraction:
Sitting with the exercising leg folded over the other thigh, resist with the hand the push of the toes and foot upwards.
Stretching
The foot completely relaxed, stretch it downwards with the hand.
Exercice №14:
Muscle contraction:
Resist with the hand against the push of the toes and foot downwards.
Stretching
The foot completely relaxed, stretch it upwards with your hand.
