Fitness
10 Simple Height Increase Exercises for your Daily Routine - September, 2024
If you have a strong determination, you can increase your height even at your mid-twenties.
Warm-ups are a real deal! You cannot aim to run marathons or climb mountains before stretching your muscles. Fail to do so can cause serious ruptures and injuries.
Suffice it to say, stretches are vital when exercising or running. Lucky for you, we compiled a list of 10 essential stretches for runners that will improve your running form, flexibility and help you recognize the most main muscles in your body.
Even a slight jog gives your muscles a workout, and many doctors recommend stretching those muscles both before and after exercise. Exercise can shorten a person's muscles, decreasing mobility over time. Stretching keeps the muscles in the body flexible so that the muscles and joints are at their fullest range of motion.
Click Here To Know Why Stretches Are Essential For Runners
Most doctors also recommend that you warm up before stretching and running. Muscles respond better to the stress the body puts on them when they've been warmed up. Warming up can be as simple as walking for five to 10 minutes, just enough to get the blood flowing through the body. Here are the 10 crucial muscle areas for runners and the stretches you need to keep them healthy.
Often referred to as your quads, your quadriceps femoris muscle covers most of the front and sides of your thighs. Stretching your quadriceps is extra important if you are running up or downhills.
To stretch them:
Pro tip: You can also use a chair to balance yourself. This stretch should be felt in the front of your thigh, and from your hip down to your knee.
Click Here To Know How To Do Quadriceps
Your hamstrings make up the back part of your thigh, stretching from the hip to the knee.
For this stretch:
Pro tip: Be careful not to pull back your toe during this stretch. You should feel it in the back of your leg, from your knees to your buttocks.
Click Here To Know How To Do Hamstrings
Your calf muscles on the back of your lower legs are a key area to pay attention to after a run. Poor calf stretching can make soreness and injury more likely.
To stretch your calf muscles:
You should feel this stretch anywhere from the back of your knee down to your ankle.
Click Here To Know How To Do Calf
Your body's iliotibial band, or ITB for short, runs on the outside of your thigh between your hip and shin. New runners who push themselves too hard can easily injure this area.
To do this stretch:
When your left ankle is crossed behind your right ankle, and you’re leaning toward the right, you will feel the stretch in your left leg.
Click Here To Know How To Do Iliotibial Band
The piriformis is a muscle in the gluteal region that helps stabilize the hip and pelvis. You use this muscle every time you take a step.
To stretch the piriformis:
You should feel this stretch in the buttocks and near your hip.
Click Here To Know How To Do Piriformis
The psoas (pronounced “so-az”) muscle is on the front of your spine and connects the lower back to the upper thigh.
To stretch this muscle:
You should feel the stretch on the front of your hip on your back leg.
Click Here To Know How To Do Psoas
The body's gluteal muscles, or “glutes” as they are commonly called, make up the buttocks and play a vital role for runners. Strengthening and stretching your gluteal muscles is important for improving your running performance.
To do this stretch:
You should feel the stretch in your buttocks.
Click Here To Know How To Do Gluteal Muscles
Your groin area refers to the part of your body between your stomach and thigh, in the general hip area.
To stretch your groin:
You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh.
Click Here To Know How To Do Groin
Harder running surfaces, like sidewalks, place additional stress on the spine and can cause tightness and pain.
To stretch your entire spine:
You should feel a stretch in your spine.
Click Here To Know How To Do Groin
The lower back area is another part of the body that runners should be aware of.
To stretch your lower back:
Click Here To Know How To Do Groin