You. Your Sneakers. The Pavement.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve recently taken up running<\/a> as a healthful hobby, you\u2019ve probably been riding high on the endorphins the body naturally dishes out during and after this cardiovascular exercise.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve stocked up on cold-weather running gear and mapped out your running routes for the week, you might be wondering what else you can do to turn this new hobby up a notch and make it a habit.<\/p>\n Using the right warmup can make or break your running, and incorporating dynamic stretches<\/a> into your warmup routine is a great way to increase the length of your stride and the fluidity of your running.<\/p>\n For even the most novice of runners, there are plenty of convincing reasons to start a dynamic stretching warmup routine today.<\/p>\n To improve your running performance, it\u2019s critical that you do the right type of stretching. Research shows that the old-school \u201chold it for 20 seconds and then move to the next stretch\u201d style of static stretching<\/a> before a workout actually does not improve your athletic performance.<\/p>\n I know, I know, you\u2019re just as surprised as your high school gym teacher about this busted myth, aren\u2019t you?<\/p>\n Dynamic stretching – stretching during movement through the range of motion of that particular joint – is what you need if you want to run faster or farther. The beauty of dynamic stretching is that it imitates movements similar to those that you\u2019ll do during the activity itself.<\/p>\n So forget about stretching by holding still; instead, you need to think of stretching as movement. Your warmup could still consist of your favorite leg lifts or toe touches, but you need to be sure that they\u2019re active and not passive.<\/p>\n Even beginning runners are susceptible to injuries, with some studies showing<\/a> up to 45% of all runners experiencing an injury within a year. Logging plenty of miles on the pavement – or the trails – can lead to many different types of problems. Some of the most common running injuries<\/a> are plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and calf muscles injuries.<\/p>\n For many years the belief that stretching will prevent injury was promoted by mass media and running coaches everywhere. However, research<\/a> shows that stretching actually does not provide any significant degree of protection from running injury. In fact, holding still for too long in a static stretch can actually weaken the muscle-tendon connection.<\/p>\n So now you know that injury prevention isn\u2019t the primary goal of your stretching, but dynamic stretching is still an important component of an active, movement-based warmup prior to running.<\/p>\n Alright, now that we\u2019ve settled on the fact that dynamic stretching<\/a> is way more important than static stretching for runners, which dynamic stretches are best for your warm up? These three stretches are excellent choices for opening up the hips and lengthening the muscles of the thighs and calves.<\/p>\nStretching For Better Running Performance<\/h2>\n
Can Some Stretching Still Prevent Injury?<\/h2>\n
Which Are The Best Stretches For Runners?<\/h2>\n
Stretch #1: Leg Swings<\/h4>\n