Have you ever found yourself wondering how much stretching should I do before running? The truth is, you can do as much or as little as you want. The important thing is not so much how much you do-it is how you do it.
Most runners stretch the wrong way
A common school of thought is that you should do static stretches before running. The problem with that is that running is a dynamic motion. Therefore, static stretching is actually counterproductive because it does not mimic the running motion. It will actually make you more prone to injury, as well as less effective.
Dynamic stretches mimic the running motion, and they help your body warm-up and raise your heart rate. Static stretches do none of these things. But obviously some stretches are better than others, and you should focus on ones that stretch out your legs.
Walking lunges
This is one of the best running stretches of all. For this, you simply put one foot out in front of the other like you would in a walking motion. Make sure to take a big step forward, and then drop the back knee close to the ground (but without touching it). Be certain that the forward knee does not get ahead of your front toes. Make sure your upper body stays upright and that you do not loosen up the abs. Do 20 reps of this one, 10 for each leg.
High knees
Warning: this one is tiring. It is very simple to do: just walk or run while bringing your knees as high as possible. Again, perform this for 10 times with each leg.
Leg lifts
To start out, just stand straight up. From there, start swinging one of your legs back and forth (side to side-not straight back and straight forward). Remember to bring it as far right to left as you possibly can for the best possible results. Again, do 20 reps.
Conclusion
Doing dynamic stretching is important for running. Use these 3 before working out, and you will see the best results.