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Stretching
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...Twist & Stretch
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Stretching - Twist and Stretch


Sometimes you can stretch the daylights out of your calves or hamstrings, yet they still feel tight when you run.

Could be time to try something new. Call it stretching with a twist. Here's how it works with four important runner's stretches. Do them after your run or after a 5- to 10-minute warmup.

Calf Stretch

Stand with one foot about 2 feet in front of the other and rest your palms against a wall. Slowly lean your body forward while pressing the heel of your rear foot into the ground. Keep your toes pointed forward and your back knee straight.

The Twist: Curl your toes and accentuate your arch as if trying to grab the floor. At the same time, shift your weight to the outside of your rear foot. Slowly shift your weight back and forth between this position and the starting position for 30 to 60 seconds.



Deep Calf Stretch

In the same position as the calf stretch, shift your weight farther onto your back leg and bend your back knee until you feel your heel wanting to raise off the floor. (Keep your heel on the floor, though.) You should feel the stretch in your Achilles tendon.

The Twist: Same as the calf stretch.






Hip Stretch

From a standing position, put one foot on a chair or step. Lean forward into a lunge position until you feel a stretch along the front of your rear thigh. Keep your back knee straight, with your foot pointed forward.

The Twist: Slowly rotate your body from side to side for 30 to 60 seconds.





Hamstring Stretch

From a standing position, put one foot on a chair. While keeping this foot flat, slowly straighten this knee until you feel a stretch. To increase the stretch, slowly lean forward from the waist while keeping your back straight and chest out.

The twist: Slowly rotate your upper body from side to side for 30 to 60 seconds.




References

http://www.runnersworld.com