Including a post-run stretch in your routine helps boost flexibility, enhance power and speed, and reduce the risk of injury. Discover how to cool down effectively and relax both your body and mind with this helpful video guide.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video on the 5-minute Post-run Stretch Routine.
1. Overhead Stretch
Overhead Stretch
Begin the 5-minute Post-run Stretch Routine in an upright standing position, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and legs. Place your hands at your sides and take a deep belly breath in through your nose. Exhale through your mouth as you raise your arms out to the sides and extend your arms overhead.
2. Upward Dog
Upward Dog
Get down to the ground and move into a straight-arm plank position, maintaining proper alignment with your head, shoulders, hips and toes. Tighten your core and bring your hips down toward the ground. Push and arch through your back to stretch the hips and low back area as you lift your head.
3. Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose
Move into a four-point position, with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Shift your hips back to your feet while extending both arms out front, engaging your core. Drop your head to the ground, relaxing your midback area for a light stretch.
4. Spider-Mans
Spider-Mans
Return to a four-point position. To open up your hips, take a big step forward toward your hand with one foot. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Lower your leg back down to return to the child’s pose position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
5. Walking Downward Dog
Walking Downward Dog
Move into a four-point position again. Contract your core, push back with your arms and lift your hips toward the sky. Walk your feet from side to side, maintaining proper alignment with your upper body.
6. 3-legged Dog
3-legged Dog
Keeping your hips up toward the sky, lift one leg and bend your knee, bringing your heel toward your seat. Tighten your core and twist your body to one side, holding this position for a couple of seconds. Relax to return to the walking downward dog and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
Repeat exercise #2 (upward dog) and exercise #3 (child’s pose). Take a couple of deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
7. Hamstring Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Move into a four-point position, with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Take a big step forward toward your hand with one foot. Looking for a light stretch in your front hips and hamstrings, rock your hips forward and back. Repeat the movement.
8. Frog Squat
Frog Squat
Move into a deep squat, spreading your knees beyond shoulder-width apart and placing your hands in front of your body. Tighten your core[²]. Looking for a light stretch on your Achilles heels and arches, lift your heels off the ground and reach with your hands forward. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Take a couple of deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
9. Forward Fold
Forward Fold
Straighten your legs to bring your hips up to the sky, walking your hands back.
10. Full Body Opener
Full Body Opener
With your hands down toward the ground, bend your knees and hinge through your hips to bend your upper body[¹]. Maintain proper alignment with your upper body. Raise back up and extend both arms overhead. Take a couple of deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat the movement.
For a yoga-based workout designed to burn fat, check out Stretching to Increase Metabolism, here!
References:
- Wahoff, M., & Ryan, M. (2011). Rehabilitation after hip femoroacetabular impingement arthroscopy. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 30(2), 463–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2011.01.001
- Weil, A. B. (2006). Kinematics of orocline tightening in the core of an arc: Paleomagnetic analysis of the Ponga Unit, Cantabrian Arc, northern Spain. Tectonics, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005tc001861