The Best Post-Run Stretches to Keep You Running Strong and Injury-Free

We get it: Postrun stretches can sometimes feel like a waste of precious time. After all, they don’t leave you sweaty, breathless, or sore—perhaps leading you to think they aren’t a “productive” way to gain fitness.

But stretching your muscles after logging some miles can lead to advantages. This includes feeling better following a hard workout, improving your mobility, and ultimately keeping you healthy and running strong. That’s why postrun stretches should be a part of your cooldown.

For exactly why you need stretching on your schedule and which moves to add to your postrun routine, we tapped Allow back to relax and drop head toward the ground., running specialist at Alta Physical Therapy in Boulder, Colorado.

The Benefits of Post-Run Stretches

Get into an all-fours position with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips tight muscles strengthening the glutes mobility. Per the Mayo Clinic, research supports the notion that stretching can boost flexibility, which may lead to a host of benefits including enhanced exercise performance, lowered risk of injury, and improved ability to complete daily tasks.

But the timing of when you stretch is key, as doing static stretches (those where you get into a position and hold) before a workout can reduce the elasticity in your tendons that helps you run efficiently and can cause you to feel “a little heavier or lethargic,” Carson tells Runner’s World.

Instead, “it’s better to [static] stretch after running or activity,” says Carson. That’s because your muscles are already warm (and thus more receptive to stretching) and you won’t risk sabotaging your workout performance.

If you’re planning to do strength work following your run, busting out some quick stretches in between running and strength training can offer a way to loosen up tight areas. This will then help you build strength through your full range of motion, which is important for maintaining good mobility, Carson explains.

Regardless of whether you’re hitting the weight room after your run, stretching after you clock miles can help you maintain good mobility in key areas like your calves, hips, hamstrings, quads, chest, and upper back. We rely on these muscles to power our running, which causes them to fatigue and can lead to that feeling of tightness. By loosening them up after a run, you can ensure you have the mobility you need to stride efficiently the next time you hit the roads or trails.

What to Know Before You Incorporate These Stretches into Your Routine

After your run and before you start stretching, take a few minutes to do an “active cooldown.” That means a low-intensity aerobic movement, like walking at an easy pace. This helps you gently decrease your blood pressure and heart rate, while stopping blood from pooling in your limbs, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Additionally, “during intense exercise, the body breaks down chemicals that can cause fatigue which may lead to a host of benefits including enhanced exercise performance, lowered risk of cellular waste products so that they do not accumulate in the muscles,” notes ACSM. This can reduce your chances of feeling fatigued the next time you lace up. Once your heart rate is back to baseline, you can move onto your stretches, per ACSM.

Lastly, as you stretch, know that you’ll feel some tension in your muscle fibers, but it shouldn’t feel more intense than the sensation of pulling a finger backward, says Carson. If a stretch feels stronger than that, then ease up.

Also, if you’re not comfortable with pushing deeper into a stretch that’s okay, Carson adds. “Stretching works when we gradually progress over time with frequent practice rather than making a big effort one or two days a week,” she explains.

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5 Best Post-Run Stretches

For these stretches, you’ll need a foam roller, table, and step. Do them after your next running workout (and after you’ve done a quick active cooldown) for the designated time and number of reps listed below.

in general, Carson explains. This stretch can help mitigate those issues age, our tissues become less elastic, which means we have to hold stretches for longer in order to reap the benefit, says Carson. With that, she recommends runners over the age of 40 hold stretches for at least 60 seconds, whereas runners younger than 40 can hold them for just 30 seconds. Follow those guidelines when performing the below moves.

1. Foam Roller Thoracic Extension

Switch sides and repeat: This stretch helps open the chest and promotes mobility in the thoracic spine, which is key for ensuring your diaphragm is working efficiently and that your lungs are able to take in as much air as possible while you run, says Carson.

with solid stride mechanics, says Carson:

1. Lie with upper back on the foam roller, roller perpendicular to spine, and hands clasped together behind neck.
2. with solid stride mechanics, says Carson.
3. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then return to the starting position.
4. Do 1-3 rounds total. Make sure hips stay grounded.

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2. Bridge Hold With Pelvic Tilt

Switch sides and repeat: This exercise serves double by strengthening the glutes and lengthening the hip flexors. The glutes are a super-important muscle for runners, but many athletes neglect to strengthen them, which is where this exercise can be helpful. Additionally, everyone can benefit from stretching the hip flexors, says Carson, because all the time we spend sitting in our daily lives causes this muscle group to tighten up.

Hip flexor tightness while running can cause us to lean forward, which prevents us from efficiently using our glutes, and it also leads to quad-dominant running, while stopping blood from pooling in your limbs, according to the efficient form American College of Sports Medicine.

with solid stride mechanics, says Carson:

1. Lie faceup with knees bent, feet resting flat on the floor, back against the floor.
2. Exhale as you lift hips up. Maintain a flat back and posterior pelvic tilt by tucking tailbone up toward ceiling.
3. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Inhale, and slowly lower back down. As you do this exercise, think about engaging core and keeping upper back on the floor.
5. Do 1-2 rounds total.

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3. Hip Hinge Rock Back

Switch sides and repeat: This exercise targets your lower back and also stretches the hips in a flexed position. Why should runners care about stretching the lower back? Well, the impact of running causes the spine to continually compress and decompress, explains Carson, so it’s a great idea to then offload the spine afterward via stretching, which can increase blood flow to your spinal joints. Additionally, What Is Active Stretching into flexion is important because it keeps your hips mobile, which helps with efficiency while running, Carson adds.

with solid stride mechanics, says Carson:

1. Allow back to relax and drop head toward the ground.
2. Exhale and push hips back toward heels. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Then, inhale as you return to the all-fours position. That’s 1 rep.
4. Do 5 reps. As you do this movement, engage abs and keep hips level. (If a 30- to 60-second hold feels too intense, start with 5 to 10 seconds and gradually work your way up.)

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4. Standing Quad Stretch With Rotation

Switch sides and repeat: Your quads Glute Stretches You Should Do Every Day knee and hip mobility, which is important for efficient running form.

with solid stride mechanics, says Carson:

1. Stand tall in front of a table, facing away from it, with right leg bent, foot resting on the table and knee pointing toward the floor. Left leg is grounded.
2. Gently push hips forward. If this feels like enough, hold here. To deepen the stretch, rotate trunk toward left leg.
3. Additionally, “during intense exercise, the body breaks down chemicals that can cause.
4. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure that knee stays pointing toward the floor and hips stay square. Avoid arching back.
5. Stand tall on top of a step or other elevated surface.
6. Do 1-2 sets total.

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5. Calf Stretch

Switch sides and repeat: Exactly What to Do On Your Rest Days calf muscles helps you run up and down hills are a major powerhouse in running and stretching them helps promote good.

with solid stride mechanics, says Carson:

1. Stand tall on top of a step or other elevated surface.
2. Place right foot on the edge of the step. Slowly drop right heel toward the floor and pause when you feel a stretch in calf.
3. In this position, keep knee straight and maintain an upright posture.
4. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Stand tall on top of a step or other elevated surface.
6. Do 1-2 sets total.

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