7 min. Post-Run Body Restoration
A nice flexibility/stretch finisher after a longer run or sports with lots of running
This week I wanted to offer an idea for how to follow up a nice run, or after playing sports with a decent amount of running involved.
Generally after running you can expect your feet, lower legs, upper legs, and hips to be tighter (which could impact your lower back feeling tighter too). One of the factors for this is that you have done 100s if not 1000s of short-range muscle contractions.
There’s nothing wrong with this and in fact it can be great for circulation and muscle activation, however, we do want to address the stiffing response by providing some relaxed time in longer stretched positions to help balance out our body.
This stretching sequence takes 7 minutes. Each position is held for 1 minute.
If you’re very tight and have the time, you can absolutely do this for 2-3 rounds for even an greater flexibility effect.
How to approach these positions for maximal effectiveness:
Approach this time with mental relaxation.
Use deep breaths to promote greater relation (you can use breathing strategies like box breathing, exhale twice as long as you inhale, or just use normal intentionally deeper/slower breathing).
Relax into the stretch (keep deep breathing) and only go further into the stretch if your body starts to loosen up and allows you to do so with the same amount of stretch sensation.
Use the level and depth of the stretch that provides a gentle to moderate stretch sensation (it should not be painful or feel like you are about to snap). Each position provides different levels or ways to scale the intensity of the stretch up or down.
This sequence is best done in socks or barefoot to get optimal stretch through your feet and ankles.
Use a countdown timer set to 65 seconds so you can start it, ease into the position, and then focus on your breathing without having to worry about counting.
Here’s the 7 min. Post-Run Body Restoration Sequence:
(1 min.) Pike Stretch (ideally toes elevated *Level 2 to include the calves)
(1 min.) Ankle Sitting
(1 min.) Toe Sitting
(1 min.) Anchored Pancake Stretch
(1 min. /side) Pigeon Hip Stretch (ground or bench)
(1 min.) Supine Lying Rest Posture
Session Design Notes:
Every position is 1 minute so it should be easy to remember and set your countdown timer.
This session offers lengthening through all major muscles and tendons from our feet to our hips:
Pike with toes elevated = Hamstrings, Calves, and Achilles
Ankle Sitting = Shins and Quads
Toe Sitting = Toes and Bottom of Feet
Anchored Pancake = Groin/Adductors including inner hamstrings
Pigeon = Outer Hips/Abductors including Glutes and Piriformis
Supine Lying = Promoting Total Body Relaxation and Decompression of Lower Back
Each of the movements has scalable levels of stretch intensity you can use based on what feels like a gentle to moderate stretch. Just watch the videos ahead of time to decide how you’d like to approach each position.
If you enjoy running or playing sports with a lot of running, give this a try either right afterwards or as soon as you get home and let me know how it feels.
Thanks for reading!
If you're ready to move great, feel great, and enjoy an active life, I invite you to see if my Fit for Life System is the right fit for you. You can try the entire program completely free for 14 days.