Also remember that safe stretching doesn’t hurt. As my yoga teacher says, there’s a difference between pain and sensation.

Pain is sharp, hot, and searing, whereas sensation is often just a feeling of tightness or discomfort. When you’re stretching, do it gently and make sure you’re warm.

Be steady as you hold each stretch, and focus on not tightening up other parts of the body while you’re attempting to loosen another (believe me, it’s pretty common to do this).

Hold stretches for about 30 seconds to a few minutes, depending on how long you have or how tight your muscles feel.

And do yourself a favor: get a foam roller! These things are sold at sporting goods stores and can work miracles on tired muscles.

I’ll be back next week with an update on how the race went!

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One Comment

  1. I do not stretch, ever (unless you count a quick bending at the waist and reaching to the sky, and bouncing on my tip-toes, which takes about 30 seconds). I once hurt myself stretching and couldn’t run for 2 weeks. I always do a warm up. I know there’s proper way to stretch and a wrong way, but I’d rather not risk it anymore.

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