When we go for a run, most of our body gets exercised, but especially our leg muscles get more workout. It is important to make sure that our muscles are given the opportunity to relax and recover after every workout. To help our muscles relax after a run, we can stretch them.
In this blogpost I will share the muscles that get used during running and also the stretching exercises we can do to relax and recover our muscles.
Muscles used for running
When we run, even though most of the muscles in our body are used, there are few specific muscles in our legs and hips that are used more than others. These muscles can be categorized into muscle groups. Below are the five muscle groups that are used more during our runs:
- Quadriceps Femoris (front thigh muscles): This is a group of four muscles that are used to lift and also straighten our leg.
- Hamstrings (back thigh muscles): This is a group of four muscles that help us to bend the knee and pull our leg backwards.
- Gluteus muscles (buttock muscles): This is a group of three muscles that help with pulling our leg backwards & outwards and also help stabilize our hips.
- Adductor muscles (inner thigh muscles or groin muscles): These are a set of five muscles that help with pulling the leg inwards and also help stabilize our legs during running.
- Calf muscles: This is a group of two muscles on the back of our leg below the knee that are used to speed up or slow down the run.
Another group of muscles that are also used during running are our core muscles (inner abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, inner back muscles). However the stretching of these muscles is not covered in this blog post.
Basic stretching routine
These are a few things you should consider regarding stretching after your run:
- After your run and before you start stretching, wait for a few minutes to make sure your heartbeat slows down and your muscles had a chance to cool down (you can also walk slowly until this happens).
- Try and ease into each stretch in a slow and deliberate manner without any abrupt movements.
- Once you stretch a muscle, try to hold the position without any movement for about 15 seconds.
- Breathe comfortably while you hold the stretch.
1 - Calf Stretch
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| Calf Stretch |
- Place your hands on a wall or some other kind of support with your arms straightened.
- Move one leg slightly forward, and the other slightly backward. The toes of both feet should be pointing towards the front.
- Make sure you bend the knee of the front leg.
- The heel of the back foot should be touching the ground and you should feel a stretch in the calf muscle of your back leg.
- If you don't feel the stretch, you can move your back leg further back or/and move your hips towards the front.
- Hold this position (see image above) for about 15 seconds without any movement, then repeat this stretch with the other leg.
2 - Thigh Stretch
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| Thigh stretch - front view |
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| Thigh stretch - side view |
- Hold on to a wall or some kind of support with one hand.
- Using the other hand, bring the heel of the leg (same side as your hand) towards your buttocks.
- Make sure that the hips, back, and one leg are in a straight line and both knees are next to each other (see images above).
- Hold this position for about 15 seconds without any movement, then repeat this stretch with the other leg.
3 - Hamstring Stretch
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Hamstring stretch - front view |
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| Hamstring stretch - side view |
- Hold on to a wall or some kind of support with one hand.
- Move one leg forward and bend the knee of the other leg to bring your hips towards the ground.
- With the front leg, make sure only the heel is touching the ground and the toes are pulled towards your body.
- Slowly lean forward with a straight back (as shown in the pictures above) until you feel the stretch in the hamstrings of your front leg. You might feel the stretch in your lower back as well.
- Hold this position for about 15 seconds without any movement, then repeat this stretch with the other leg.
4 - Adductor Muscles Stretch
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| Adductor muscles stretch - starting position |
- Stand with your legs wide apart, toes facing to the front (see image above).
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| Adductor muscles stretch - stretching position |
- Raise the heel of one of the legs and sit on it (shown in the image above). The other leg stays extended.
- The toes of both feet should be pointing to the front and you should feel a comfortable stretch on the inner thigh of your extended leg.
- If your body doesn't allow you to go all the way down, go as far as it is comfortable for you.
- Hold this position for about 15 seconds without any movement, then repeat this stretch with the other leg.
5 - Glutes Stretch
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| Starting position - front view |
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| Starting position - side view |
- Hold on to a wall or some kind of support with one hand.
- Bend the knee of one leg and place the ankle on the knee of the other leg (see images above - starting position)
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| Stretching position - front view |
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| Stretching position - side view |
- Slowly bend the knee of the standing leg and bring your hips towards the ground.
- Stop moving your hips when you start feeling the stretch in the muscles of your buttocks.
- Hold this position for about 15 seconds without any movement, then repeat this stretch with the other leg.
Stay healthy and enjoy finding joy in health!