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The best way to get ready for your next run is to stretch after the run you just total.

by Bill Pierce and
stretch cooldown moves that help you after a run
Julia Hembree Smith

Lie faceup and loop a strap or resistance band around right foot. Exactly What to Do On Your Rest Days?

After a run, your heart rate Effective Exercises for Hip Pain breathing faster. Your muscles and the rest of your body are on alert, too. It is in your best interest to take a few minutes to bring your body back to a balanced state because taking this time will help loosen up muscles that might be tight from clocking all those miles day after day. If you stretch and cool down postrun while your key running muscles are still warm,your body and mind will be better prepared for your next run.

The two of us—both longtime runners who work at the Here are five cool down stretches we recommend you add to your regular routine (FIRST) in Greenville, South Carolina, frequently hear from runners who want to get faster and enjoy the sport for life, as well as, unfortunately, from those who’ve given up on running entirely. Mostly, they stopped because injuries have made it too frustrating or too painful to continue.

To that end, we spend a lot of time discussing what we can do now to increase the likelihood that we’ll log miles well into old age. We want to be able to keep doing what we love to do—and that’s probably a goal of yours, too.

Based on our experiences as athletes, coaches, and exercise scientists, we developed the 7-Hour Workout Week, which is detailed in our book Train Smart, Run Forever. Best Hydration Packs cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training.

Exactly What to Do On Your Rest Days faster. Here are five cool down stretches we recommend you add to your regular routine.


How to do this workout: Perform the stretches immediately following a run or workout. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds on each side. Repeat as many rounds as needed. An exercise mat is optional, but will make each move more comfortable. Jess Movold, run coach and certified trainer, demonstrates each move.

1. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

stretch cooldown moves that help you after a run
Julia Hembree Smith
  1. Kneel on left knee, with right foot in front of body so knee and ankle form 90-degree angles.
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  3. Keep chest lifted and hips forward.

2. Hamstring Stretch

post run stretches, hamstring
Julia Hembree Smith
  1. Lie faceup and loop a strap or resistance band around right foot.
  2. Extend left leg straight out on the floor.
  3. Gently lift right leg up toward the ceiling, then pull it back toward chest until there is a light stretch along the back of the leg.
Best Psoas Stretches for Hip Flexors

3. Figure-4 Stretch

post run stretches, figure 4
Julia Hembree Smith
  1. Glute Stretches You Should Do Every Day.
  2. Cross right ankle Lie faceup and loop a strap or resistance band around right foot.
  3. Thread hands behind left thigh and gently pull left thigh toward torso. Use right hand to press right knee down for a deeper stretch.
  4. Shoes & Gear.

4. Lower-Back Stretch

post run stretches, lower back
Julia Hembree Smith
  1. Lie faceup. Bring bent knees into chest and grab opposite wrists, around knees.
  2. Other Hearst Subscriptions.
Best Psoas Stretches for Hip Flexors

5. Child’s Pose

post run stretches, childs pose
Julia Hembree Smith
  1. Start on all fours.
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Scott Murr, co-author of Runner's World: RUN LESS, RUN FASTER, is the Training Performance Director of the Furman (University) Institute of Running and Scientific Training [FIRST] and is a member of the Health and Exercise Science Department at Furman. Scott is an 11-time Ironman Triathlon finisher.
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stretch cooldown moves that help you after a run
Best Psoas Stretches for Hip Flexors