Runner’s Stretches: The Best Moves to Prep for Your Next Run

Easing into a run with a stretching routine is one of the quickest and easiest ways to warm up your muscles. Skipping the stretch essentially means the first part of your run is your warmup. Dynamic stretching helps loosen your muscles, which naturally contract when you’re sitting down. If you’ve ever started jogging without stretching, in the very early part of your run, your muscles can feel stiff and cold. Once your body temperature heats up, your muscles often start to relax, and your run can feel easier. The pre-stretching you do should imitate the movements you make during your run. Below are some stretches you can perform to help you get loose. Remember to consult with a physician before starting any exercise program.

The Best Pre-Run Stretches

Dynamic stretches involve simple, repetitive movements that increase your muscle flexibility gradually. Arm circles—extending your arms straight out and parallel to the ground and first making small circles slowly with your hands and then making them larger and faster—are an example of a dynamic exercise. Below are 6 stretches you can do before your next run.

• Butt Kicks: Butt kicks warm up your quadriceps and hamstrings. Standing straight up with your chest pressed slightly forward and your hands folded in front of you, bring your heels to your butt and then return to your starting position.  

• Knee to Chest: With your back flat on the ground and your knees bent, grab one knee with both hands and pull it until it touches your chest (if you can). Repeat with the other knee. This exercise helps loosen your hips and back. 

• Leg Swings: Standing perpendicular, swing your leg forward and back as far as possible. Repeat with your other leg. You can do this exercise either assisted (with one hand on a wall) or unassisted. Leg swings help warm up your hamstrings. For a lateral leg swing, stand straight up and swing your leg out and bring it back in a controlled manner. Lateral leg swings warm up your hips. 

• Hip Openers: Lie flat on your back and bring your right ankle over your left knee, which is resting on the ground at a 90-degree angle. With your hands on your hips, move your right knee toward your chest, bringing it in and out. For an advanced stretch, grab your right ankle with your right hand, and rotate your hips to the left. Your left knee should be flat or close to flat on the floor. Rotate your right knee in and out. Repeat on your other knee. This exercise increases the range of motion for your hips. 

• Toy Soldiers: Starting on your right foot, kick your left leg to your right hand, which is fully extended in front of you. If you can, touch your hand to your foot. This exercise helps stretch your hamstrings. 

• Calf Raise: Standing against a wall with your right leg down and left leg off the floor, lift your right heel off the floor using the front of your foot. Once you’ve stretched your foot as far as possible, lower your right heel to the ground. Your calf muscle should contract on the way up and release on the way down. Using the same movements, you can perform a 2-leg calf raise without using the support of a wall.  

5-Minute Dynamic Stretching Routine for Runners

When you perform your pre-stretch run, keep the pace easy. It’s important to save energy for your run. You don’t want to feel fatigued.

Running Gear That Supports Your Stretch

If you’re going to stretch, running gear that’s stretchy, comfortable, and lightweight is preferable. It’s important that your movements don’t feel inhibited by what you’re wearing. Below are some tips for clothing and gear to wear while stretching.

• Shoes: Avoid shoes that feel stiff or too big. Your shoes should fit comfortably, be lightweight and airy, and have plenty of cushion to soften the impact of your feet landing on the ground. 

• Moisture-Wicking Clothing: Whether it’s leggings, traditional shorts, or HeatGear® for hot weather running or ColdGear® for running when it’s cold, look for material that’s comfortable, stretchy, and that absorbs moisture to help keep you cool. 

• T-shirts: Your T-shirts should be airy, loose, and moisture wicking. Avoid tight fitting T-shirts without 4-way stretch that could restrict your movements and stay away from 100% cotton, which doesn’t wick moisture.  

Stretching Mistakes Runners Should Avoid

There’s no consensus among experts about the value of dynamic stretching on your performance or whether it helps reduce the risk of injuries, but static stretching before a run is generally discouraged while dynamic stretching is considered best practice. What’s static stretching? It’s when you hold your muscles in a fixed position for a time without moving. It’s designed to increase flexibility, but it doesn’t necessarily increase your circulation and get you warm, which are factors that can improve your performance. Below are some mistakes to avoid for your pre-run stretch. 

• Overstretching: Don’t push the limits of how far you take your stretching or how long you stretch. The goal is to feel warm and limber when you start your run, not sore and fatigued. 

• Under Stretching: A reasonable time limit for your pre-run stretch is 5 to 10 minutes. If you’re going to stretch before a run, you need to do it long enough to get warm. 

• Stretching an Injured Muscle: If you have an injured muscle that doesn’t affect your running ability, avoid stretching it. You don’t want to aggravate it.

Stretching before you run is an ideal way for runners of every level to get warmed up. If you consistently maintain a proper pre-run stretching routine, there’s a good chance your performance will improve.