Game Changers: The Conscious Culture Men With Vision 2020 Edition | Page 38

GAMECHANGERFITNESS
SIX STRETCHES TO DO
BEFORE RUNNING
Walking Lunges
Stand up straight with
your feet shoulder-width
apart. Your hands can
stay by the side of your
body or on your hips.
Step forward with your
right leg, putting the
weight into your heel. Bend the right knee,
lowering down so that it’s parallel to the
floor in a lunge position. Pause for a beat.
Without moving the right leg, move your left
foot forward, repeating the same
movement on the left leg. Pause as your
left leg is parallel to the floor in a lunge
position. Repeat this movement, “walking”
forward as you lunge, alternating legs. Do
10 to 12 reps on each leg. Perform 2 to 3
sets.
TO STRETCH OR
NOT TO STRETCH
Curated by Lydia Pierre
Whether you’re jogging on trails or on the road or trotting along on
the treadmill, running is physically demanding on your body. The
repetitive motion of moving your body forward requires strength and
coordination. Each step you take requires your quads, hamstrings,
calves and hips to extend and flex repeatedly, which, over time,
causes tightness and imbalances, paving the way for overuse injuries.
Skipping pre-run stretches or warm-up sessions is a recipe for a
workout injury. Running with muscles that aren't properly prepped
can result in a muscle strain that keeps you off your feet — and off
the road or trail — for days, weeks or even months.
That’s why safely stretching these muscles before and after each run
is necessary. Experts agree that you should avoid static stretches
before your workout because cold muscles are tight muscles and
you’re likely to cause a strain or worse. Pre-run stretches should
consist of dynamic stretching, which involves light movement
through an increasing range of motion. Focus on the major muscle
groups you’ll be using — quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and
calves.
Perform these six moves before you pound the pavement to warm
up joints and muscles and to help prevent injury.
GAME CHANGERS MAGAZINE | 38
Kneeling Hip
Flexor Stretch
If you sit at a desk all day, you
probably have tight hip flexors,
since they're constantly in a
state of flexion. This makes this
pre-run stretch extra important
before you work out. Start in a
lunge with your front knee at 90
degrees. Begin to straighten your back leg, so you
feel a stretch along the front of your back thigh. Keep
your front knee aligned over your toes. Raise your
arms over your head and hold for a few seconds, and
then release. Continue in a dynamic motion, shifting
forward as you raise your arms up, and then lowering
your arms as you come back to the starting
position. Repeat five times on each side.
Side Stretch
Side stitches are a common
complaint among runners, but
fitness expert Stew Smith,
CSCS, says you can help
prevent them by doing this
torso stretch before running.
You can perform this from a
standing position (pictured above), or as Schultz
recommends, you can add a side stretch to the hip
flexor stretch from the previous stretch. Bring your
arms over your head. Keeping your abdominals
tight, lean to the right, bending at the waist. Hold for
a few seconds, and then lean to the left.  Do this
movement dynamically, holding for one or two
breaths on each side before switching.
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