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Should You Stretch Before Running?
August 19, 2024
Written By: Coach Amanda
Should you stretch before running?
Yes, but not by doing traditional stretching.
There are two different types of stretching: static and dynamic.
Static stretches are what people generally think of when they think of stretching. These could be stretches like bending over and touching your toes. Static stretches are great at improving mobility and flexibility.
Dynamic stretches are controlled movements that prepare your muscles for performance. These movements tend to help reduce risk of injury and boost blood flow to your muscles and joints. Think about stretches like leg swings, air squats and hip opener stretches.
Doing static stretches before running can hinder your performance and even increase your risk of injury. Instead, focus on warming up your muscles with dynamic stretches which will prepare the body for your run!
Here are some dynamic stretches that I love to add into my warm up:
- Walking Hamstring Sweep
- Start in a standing position.
- Step your right foot in front of you, placing your heel on the ground. Keep your right leg straight and point your right toes straight up.
- Bend your left knee and push your hips back as you reach your arms down toward your knees. Then, sweep them forward and up. As you move your arms, keep a flat back rather than rounding it or hunching forward. You should feel a stretch in your right hamstring.
- Return to a standing position and take three steps forward.
- Repeat the movement on the left side and remember to keep a flat back. You should feel a stretch in your left hamstring.
- Return to standing and take three steps forward.
- Continue stepping forward and alternating sides.
- 90/90s Hip Opener
- Begin in a seated and upright position, feet flat and knees pointed up. Feet should be a little wider than hip distance.
- Rotate both knees simultaneously to the floor.
- Alternating sides, opening up the hips. Maintain a neutral spine, lift your chest and brace your core at all times.
- Walking Calf Raises
- Start in a standing position with your toes pointing straight ahead.
- Maintain this stance while lifting your heels off the ground. You should be standing on your toes.
- Walk forward 10 steps for a more active variation or return to your neutral standing position.
- Heel Walks
- Stand with your heels grounded. Lift your toes and point them forward.
- Maintain this stance while taking 10 steps forward.
- Keeping your toes lifted, turn them inward and walk 10 more steps forward.
- With your toes still raised, turn them outward and walk another 10 steps forward.
- Leg Swings
- Stand upright holding a wall, chair, or pole to one side of your body.
- Lift the leg on the opposite side of the body and swing it up in front of you and back behind you, back and forth, in a fluid motion like a pendulum swing.
- Keep your core engaged.
- Perform 15 leg swings and then switch sides.
- Marching Hurdles
- Stand upright and lift one knee up towards your chest as if about to step over a tall hurdle. Lift as high as you can.
- When your knee is at chest level, turn your hip out, so that the inside of your leg is facing the imaginary hurdle.
- Draw it out to the side as you bring it back down, opening up your hips
- Do 15 reps per side.
Ready to improve your running abilities?
Join us at Running Club this September!
You'll learn the above dynamic stretches, learn about pacing, running form and how to prevent injury. One of the leading reasons people stop running is usually because we go too hard too soon, or we just aren't aware of the nuances to running in general.
No previous running experience is necessary; just bring yourself, some enthusiasm, and your running shoes!
Details:
Wednesday September 4, 11, 18, 25 and October 2
6:30PM-7:30PM
$150+tx/members
$165+tx/non-members
To register email amanda@degressfitnessseaforth.com, call/text 519-441-7492 or send us a message to save your spot!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian February is Heart Health Month! So what better time to focus on habits that can help improve our cardiovascular (or heart) health! Cardiovascular disease includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease. All of these factors can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. While some of your risk is genetic, many factors can be improved with lifestyle habits - which are in our control! Check out these ways you can improve your heart health this Heart Health Month! Know your risk level Many people may be walking around with high cholesterol or high blood pressure and not know it. If we don't know something is a problem, we can't fix it! Make sure to complete any tests your doctor recommends in a timely manner, and follow up afterwards. If you do find out there's a problem, it's much easier to start making changes when something is a smaller potential risk factor than after something serious has happened. Not sure where you're at? Ask your doctor if this is something you should monitor! Get enough exercise We don't have a magic pill that fixes everything, but exercise does come close! For heart health, exercise will help decrease your blood pressure and promote healthy cholesterol levels. The recommendation for most healthy Canadian adults is to aim for 150 minutes of "moderate to vigorous" exercise a week - this means your heart rate is up and you are breathing at least a bit harder than at rest. If you feel you fall short of that goal, try slowly increasing by 5-10 minutes a week as your body allows. Any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up counts! Watch your salt intake While we know we do need some salt or sodium in our diet, many of us eat too much salt. Much of this comes from processed foods or take out - it's not just about whether you add salt during cooking and at the table. For those who are at risk for high blood pressure, a high sodium intake can increase that risk, and decreasing your salt intake can help promote more normal blood pressure. Staying between 1800mg and 2300mg of sodium daily will make sure your body is getting what it needs without overdoing it. Try checking your labels to see if you're taking in more salt than you realize. Use the "percent daily value" on the right-hand side of the nutrition facts table - remember, 5% is a little bit, 15% is a lot! Increase your fibre intake Fibre does many great things for our body - including helping to improve your cholesterol levels, or maintain them in a healthy range. The total recommended amount of fibre daily is 20-25g for women and 30-38g for men - that's a lot!! Sources of fibre include vegetables, fruit, whole grains and whole grain products, nuts and seeds, and legumes. If you're choosing foods with a nutrition label, use the "percent daily value" to choose higher-fibre options. Remember to make changes in your fibre slowly and make sure you're properly hydrated to avoid any bowel upset. Remember, health isn't all or nothing! If you're ready to improve your heart health, pick one habit to focus on and figure out how you can implement in your daily life consistently! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE !
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Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian With a New Year often comes New Year's resolutions. The "New Year, New Me" energy is everywhere, especially in terms of health and fitness. But when it comes to actually achieving those goals, it can be a whole other story. Many people give up on their goals early on in the year - but a bit more thought up front and a dose of reality can help you set better resolutions and actually achieve them this year! Check out these tips to make 2025 the year you crush your resolutions! Set goals that are actions, not outcomes! Often people set goals like "be healthier", "lose weight", or "build muscle". While these can be great things to aim for, they are outcomes of other actions, not actions themselves. These outcomes happen because of other activities. For example, if the outcome you want is to build muscle, the actions you might focus on to achieve this are going to be strength training and meeting your protein goals. If you want to lose weight, your action goals might be developing a consistent exercise routine and focusing on balanced meals. These actions are things you are in control of, rather than outcomes of other activities. Be realistic about your life and yourself! Despite the "New Year New You" hype, you will still be yourself on January 1st, and many aspects of your life may still be the same as they were in 2024. We often set goals that are just too aspirational or that fit with someone else's lifestyle but not our actual reality. Maybe your goal is to exercise more so you plan to wake up at 5am every day to make this happen. But what if your reality is that you're just not a morning person, or you have a job with fluctuating shifts? A more realistic plan might be to find an exercise routine that you can do at a different time of day, or that is more flexible. The easier it is to fit your goal into your current life, the more likely you are to actually achieve it! Think through the steps you'll need to achieve your goals - and then plan for them! Setting a goal is only the first step to making it a reality. There are likely at least a few other steps you need to take to get there. Taking the time to figure out what those steps are and chipping away at them will help you make your goals a reality. For example, maybe your goal is to eat enough protein because you're trying to build or maintain muscle. Your steps might include meeting with a Registered Dietitian to find out how much protein you need and learn more about how to include it in your diet. Then maybe you need to learn to cook one or two new protein options or research recipes. Maybe you need get into the habit of meal planning. The main goal is just the tip of the iceberg - the steps behind it are what make it a reality. Let go of "all or nothing" thinking in your goals! When people "fail" at their resolutions, it's often because they pick goals that are inflexible or too extreme. When people can't stick to these rigid goals, they end up giving up, rather than figuring out how to adapt. Setting goals that are more flexible will make it easier to roll with the punches throughout the year, rather than throwing in the towel in the first month. For example, setting a goal of cutting out all sugar is very "all or nothing". The first time you're confronted with a treat while out or give into a craving, you might just give up. Changing the goal to eat less of specific sugary foods (but not cutting them out entirely) might be more realistic. You might even choose to pick a certain frequency that you'll enjoy them that is less than your current amount. Goals don't have to be extreme to help you still see improvements in your health and fitness! So tell us, what are your goals for 2025? By setting better and more realistic goals, and making plans for them, you can make changes to see big gains in your health and fitness this year! For more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com or click HERE for more information about our Nutrition Programs!