Q: What are the Best Stretches to do Before and After Running?

A: I've been running off and on for about 10-15 years and this year, da-da-da-daah, I'm training for my first marathon. I don't know all there is to know about stretching or running, but I have a good basic knowledge.

Here is what I have to say about the topic of stretching before and after running:

Conventional wisdom says that you should concentrate your stretching efforts after your workout. The thinking goes that, after your workout, your muscles are properly warmed up and can take the additional strain of stretching. I say that you should stretch before your run, sometimes during your run and definitely after your run.

Another marathoner I know says the best warm-up for running is to, well, run. I normally walk for a short distance before any run and then go into a (very) slow jog. This has two benefits: the walk gives your muscles a chance to warm up (great if you are running in the morning) and the slow jog does not overly stress your muscles at the very beginning of the run. I have always found it best to start slow and then hit your pace. This has the added benefit of saving your knees, shins, ankles, etc. After all, it's not necessarily how fast you run (unless you're entering a competition that requires speed), but that you can continue to run for a long time, mostly injury-free.

You can also engage in some light stretching beforehand. The areas that tend to hurt the most after during and after running are the knees, calf muscles, shins and the Achilles tendon areas. I tend to do get down and hold a few light squats before my run to target my shins, knees and Achilles tendons and do some tip-toe moves to target the calves. I see lots of other people doing one-legged lunges (to stretch the hamstrings and glutes, I imagine), jumping up and down (to get loose and warm up the muscles) and extending each leg on an elevated surface (to stretch the entire leg and glutes), but I would save most of that for after your run, when your muscles aren't screaming in protest. And, the earlier in the day you start your run, the slower you should start off.

During the run, if something starts hurting, STOP! When I initially started training this year, I noticed my Achilles tendons giving me some trouble due to the amount of hills in my runs I was attempting to climb. So I would stop, walk for a little bit and then do my squats to loosen my tendons up further. (I also got fitted for a better pair of shoes at a running store and that helped quite a bit.)

After I've been running for a while, I usually don't feel too much pain (except an occasional squeak of protest from one or both knees) and feel great, warmed-up and limber by the end of the run. At the end of the run is when I would focus most of my stretching efforts. Do the squats, one-legged lunges, leg extensions with your hand stretching to the bottoms of your feet, the tip-toe move and a little bit of walking towards the end to make sure you don't stop the run too abruptly. Definitely don't over-train, don't try to climb mountains before you climb hills and get adequate rest and recuperation between runs. I

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Good luck with your running!