With the Okanagan Marathon just around the corner, we at Foundation Chiropractic and Sports Therapy have been spending some extra time at the Kelowna Running Room! We have been helping runners with all experience levels with injury prevention and stretching routines. For this weeks blog post we thought we would share some dynamic warm up/stretching tips based off Chris Johnson’s excellent book “Running on Resistance”. Keep reading below to stay feeling good no matter what distance you are running!
Not only is your warm up/stretch a good way to loosen up your body, but it is also a great time to check in with yourself. Are you tighter on one side than the other? Does a specific stretch feel good, OR reproduce a pain you have been feeling?
Here are the 6 parts to your dynamic warmup/stretch!
1) Brisk walking 5-10 minutes: Get your heart rate up and get some blood pumping to those muscles! This is very important to maximize the effectiveness of your stretching. Warmer muscles = a more effective stretch!
2) Alternating knee to chest: Pull your knee to your chest and hold for 30 seconds wobble free 2-3 sets per side. Stay upright and squeeze your glute on your balancing leg for a nice hip flexor and quad stretch!
3) Marching with overhead reach: Perform 5-10 reps on both sides, wobble free. Bring your knee up to 90 degrees when marching. Raise your opposite arm straight up in the air and reach for the sky. Focus on upright posture without sticking your chest up or hyperextending your lower back. Perform at a slow or quick tempo.
4) Quad stretch: Bring you heel to your butt, and hold the top of your foot with your same sided hand. Hold 30 seconds wobble free 2-3 sets per side. Try not to hyperextend your lower back and keep the rib cage down!
5) Standing figure 4 stretch: Place your ankle on the top of your opposite knee then hinge at the hip. The further you sit back the deeper the stretch! Try not to round the lower back. Hold 30 seconds wobble free 2-3 sets per side.
6) Hip hinge hamstring stretch, Hold 30 seconds wobble free 2-3 sets per side. Stagger your legs apart and in a lunge but straighten you front leg. DO NOT lock your front knee and keep you hands on the small of your back to insure you are not rounding it. Change your foot position to point your toes in or out to hit different parts of the hamstring.
These stretches are a great start but are not necessarily the answer to a preexisting injury. A detailed examination is usually the best place to start if these stretches don’t do the trick! If you have a nagging injury or know someone who does, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with me at www.foundationkelowna.com and start feeling better today!
